Unexpected Journey
by LC1986
Summary: Set 12 years after season 3. Rory's life is much different than she expected...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place 12 years after season 3. In this story, Rory didn't say no to Jess in "Keg! Max!" This is my take on what could have happened. Please note that several characters may seem very out of character. **

Rory sighed and looked up from the completed letter. She shifted her position on the beach towel and brushed the sand off her feet. Looking out into the ocean she couldn't help but think back over the past twelve years.

Life had certainly not turned out the way she envisioned so many years ago. However, Rory wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe one thing. Rory hadn't seen or spoken to her mother, Lorelai, in twelve years. Sadly, Rory looked back at the letter she had just finished. She felt it was time to reach out to Lorelai and rebuild their relationship. Rory hadn't intended to be estranged from her mother for so long, but it had happened none the less.

Rory thought about how it all started, so many years ago. She and Jess' relationship had been going through a rough patch. Jess was doing poorly in school and afraid to let Rory know. Communication had been scarce on both their parts, but Rory had hoped a Saturday night party would cool things off. It wasn't just any party, Lane's band was playing. Rory was excited to see her best friend doing something she loved. After the party got going, Rory discovered that Jess had disappeared. She went upstairs to locate him. She found Jess in Kyle's parents' bedroom brooding over something. After a short fight, things got a little more passionate that Rory had intended and they slept together. Of course, Rory regretted it the next day, but it was already done. Soon after, Jess and Luke had a huge fight and Luke told Jess to leave. Jess didn't want to leave Rory, so he agreed to retake his senior year of high school and stay in Stars Hallow.

Life went on; Rory graduated from Chilton and went to Europe with Lorelai. Around the end of their European adventure, Rory started to feel strange. She had been getting sick every morning for a week and it started to freak her out. Finally, Rory realized she couldn't deny it anymore. She needed to buy a pregnancy test and face the music. So, as soon as she returned to the States with Lorelai, she got on a bus and went to a Hartford drugstore. Rory took the tests at home while Lorelai was at work and froze when she saw the results. Responsible Rory was indeed pregnant like she suspected. She called Jess and showed him the tests as soon as he came over. Both were shocked and terrified, but before they could come up with a game plan, Lorelai came home early from work. She was puzzled as to why the two were standing in the foyer with wide eyes. More importantly, she was concerned when she realized Rory appeared to have been crying recently. Her eyes traveled down to what the pair were looking at and did a double take. Rory just shook her head and began to cry again. Lorelai's shock soon turned to anger as she yelled at both of them for being so irresponsible. Luke was soon called to come help figure the situation out and instantly pulled Jess out of the house. After a screaming match and a few punches, Jess went back into the house and told Rory they needed to leave. So, they left Lorelai and Luke and ran to the lake. They sat in silence for a while before Jess suggested a game plan. He told Rory he was planning to track his Dad down in California and wanted her to go also. Rory cried because she loved Jess, but didn't know what to do about the baby and her mom. They agreed to think about it overnight and discuss it again the next morning. After a lengthy discussion about the baby and Rory's life, Lorelai and Rory called it a night. Lorelai had insisted that Rory continue on with her education and attend Yale's online program. Rory didn't think that would work since she needed to get a job to support herself and the baby. Rory couldn't help but feel her mother's disappointment and judgment at her current situation. She hadn't expected Lorelai to be happy, but she had expected support and sympathy, neither of which she received from Lorelai. After a quick "goodnight" they both went off to their respective rooms for a fitful night's sleep.

The next morning, Rory awoke to Jess tapping on her window. He had a large duffel bag and a cup of decaf coffee. Rory opened the window and accepted the coffee. Jess said he was leaving for California and wanted to know where she stood on the situation. After the previous night's encounter, Rory decided to go with Jess. She quickly got dressed and added some of her clothes and a couple books to Jess' duffel bag. They quietly left through Rory's bedroom window and began their journey.

After several long bus rides, the pair arrived in Venice Beach, CA. Rory wondered what her mother thought those first few days, but she just couldn't bring herself to call her. It broke her heart to leave, but Rory felt she had no other choice. Leaving the life she loved and the people she loved was not part of her life plan, but life throws curveballs sometimes and plans have to change. So, she and Jess found Jimmy (Jess' father) and arranged to stay a while. Jess got a job at a local bookstore and worked on getting his GED at night. Rory was able to work part time at the bookstore with Jess for a while until the baby was born. A few months before the baby was due, Jess surprised Rory with a spur of the moment wedding. He loved her and wanted to assure he that he was sticking around for good. Rory was shocked, but totally thrilled. They were married on the beach with their new friends and Jimmy, Sasha, and Lilly in attendance. It wasn't what Rory had envisioned her wedding to be, but it was beautiful none the less.

**A/N: The next chapter will explain more of the story and catch up to Rory finishing the letter. Let me know if I should continue. This is my first story, please be kind!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter picks up right after the first. We continue on with Rory reminiscing about her life's journey over the past twelve years. The story is going to move along quickly in this chapter so we can catch up to the present time. **

The last months of Rory's pregnancy went by quickly and with no complications. Finally, after many long hours of labor, little Lorelai Jane Gilmore Mariano was born. Jess had suggested the names as a way for Rory to keep a connection with her past. He urged her to contact her mother, but Rory just couldn't do it. She was afraid of Lorelai's reaction to her running away. So, she continued to avoid contact.

Janie was a beautiful, happy, healthy baby that Rory and Jess adored. She continued to grow and amaze her parents as time marched on. Jess continued to work at the bookstore and quickly became the owner's favorite employee. Shortly after Janie's first birthday, the owner of the bookstore retired and sold the store to Jess and Rory. After working non-stop for months, running the bookstore, Rory discovered that she was pregnant again. Around Janie's second birthday, the young family welcomed Andrew Richard Mariano. They were delighted at the new addition and continued to enjoy the ride of life.

Another two years went by and once again, there was a new addition to the family. Alexander Lucas Mariano was born early one warm spring morning. Janie and Drew looked at their new little brother with wonder and excitement. Jess couldn't be prouder of his new son and Rory was filled with joy. Things were going well for the Mariano family. The bookstore was doing great and afforded Rory the opportunity to stay home with the kids most of the time and pick up a few shifts once in a while.

Around Rory's 25th birthday, she received a shocking call from her doctor. What she thought was the flu turned out to be morning sickness. Both Rory and Jess were shocked. They thought their family had been complete when Alex was born, but life had thrown a curveball again. They were even more dumbfounded when they learned Rory was pregnant with twins. Neither one had come from a large family, so the thought of five children was daunting. The arrival of Daniel James Mariano and Nicholas Jess Mariano proved that some of life's greatest joys come by surprise.

Jess loved his family and did his best to provide every opportunity for them. He loved Rory, but always felt bad that she had abandoned her dreams to go to Yale in order to have a family with him. Jess encouraged Rory to go to college and follow her educational goals. Rory didn't want to go at first, since she and Jess had five young children to look after, but eventually she decided to go for it. After the twins first birthday Rory began to attend Pepperdine University. It was hard to juggle family and full time school, but with Jess' help and her own perseverance, Rory graduated with honors.

Once again, life continued to march on for the Mariano family. Nearing Rory's 30th birthday, she decided it was finally time to contact her mother. Jess had tried to get her to make contact over the years, but she just couldn't do it. Jess even threatened to call Luke and get him involved, but Rory wouldn't have it. Contact was going to be made on her terms.

So, one lazy Saturday afternoon, Rory took her notepad down to the beach to begin writing a letter to Lorelai. Jess happily took Janie, Drew, Alex, Danny, and Nick to the bookstore to keep them occupied while Rory spent the afternoon with her thoughts.

After several hours of writing, and rewriting, the letter, Rory folded the letter and stuffed it into the envelope. As she started to write her old address on the front, she wondered what Lorelai's life was like now. Hopefully she was still living in the same house, Rory thought as she sealed the envelope and placed a stamp on it. Hesitating over the space for a return address, Rory finally just wrote her street address and left her name off. She wondered how Lorelai would react to the letter. Would she be showing up on her doorstep or would there be a frantic phone call? Rory just hoped that whatever it was would be soon. Rory gathered her things from the beach and walked to the nearest mailbox. She opened the door, held her breath, and dropped the letter in. "Here goes nothing" she thought. Rory sighed and walked back home in search of her family.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews! It's nice to know people are actually reading this. This chapter is going to be Lorelai's side of the story. Once again, time is going to move quickly.**

Lorelai walked into the crapshack and threw her keys and purse on the table before reaching for the coffee pot. She poured herself a cup of coffee and began to dig through the pile of mail on the counter. One particular envelope caught her eye. She examined the familiar handwriting and paused at the return address. "Venice Beach?" she whispered. Lorelai held her breath and opened the envelope. As her eyes scanned the page, she felt her hands tremble and felt the urge to sit down. In the process, she dropped her coffee cup and herd it shatter on the ground just as she landed in a nearby chair.

Lorelai's mind instantly flashed back to the worst day of her life; the day she discovered Rory had left. It was a warm Wednesday morning and Lorelai padded down the stairs to get some coffee. She noticed Rory's door was still closed. She didn't think much of it since it was still early, but told herself she would wake Rory in an hour or so and resolve their conflict from the previous night. She did just that, but was horrified to discover Rory's bed empty and most of her belongings still there. Lorelai discovered a short note on Rory's desk. In Rory's neat scrawl she read "Mom, I love you, but I just can't stay here. Please forgive me. -Rory". Tears flooded Lorelai's eyes as she stared at the note. She refused to accept Rory's note and frantically searched the house. When she turned up nothing, Lorelai started searching the town. By the end of the day, she was reduced to sitting at the foot of Rory's bed staring at the note again. Sometime after dark that same day Luke frantically knocked on the bad door. After a while of no response, he walked around to porch to see if there were any open windows. As he walked around to Rory's room, he peered in the window and noticed Lorelai sitting on Rory's bed staring at something. He tapped on the window, which startled Lorelai from her numbness. She went over to the window and opened it.

"Lorelai? Why are you sitting alone, in the dark, staring at a piece of paper? Is everything ok?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"No, Luke. Everything is wrong." She cried and handed him the note. He read it and looked at her with wide eyes. "She's gone too?"

"Too?" Lorelai asked confused.

"Yeah, Jess left sometime last night. I've spent the day looking for him, but it seems like he's cleared out. I'm assuming he and Rory left together. How are you holding up?"

"Not good. I can't do this Luke! I can't go on without her." Lorelai sobbed and hung her head.

"hey, hey, there." Luke said while joining her on the bed and wrapping his arms around her. "We'll figure something out. We'll find them."

"I've looked everywhere Luke! Where could they have gone? Why did she have to do this? I know I was upset yesterday, but I didn't mean to drive her away! God, I'm just as horrible as my parents were all those years ago!" She collapsed against him and began to shake uncontrollably.

Her breakdown really worried Luke. He had no clue what to do, so he just held onto her.

A while later, a car pulled into the driveway and Sookie and Jackson got out. They saw the light on in Rory's room and went right into the house. Both looked exhausted and downcast. They looked at Luke and Lorelai sitting on Rory's bed and sighed. "Luke?" Jackson said. Luke turned toward him and hoped the pair was bringing good news. "I'm really sorry Luke, but we didn't find Rory. We've looked everywhere. Even Woodbridge and Litchfield. We're going to continue looking in the morning. How's Lorelai holding up?"

"Not so good. She finally passed out from exhaustion, but I haven't had the heart to leave her here alone. I'll try to get her upstairs in a bit. Thanks for helping Jackson, Sookie. We both really appreciate it. Thanks." Luke said. Jackson nodded and put his arm around Sookie's shoulders as they quietly exited the house.

The next few days were especially bad for Lorelai. She stayed in her bed and refused to acknowledge the outside world. Luke seemed to be the only one able to get her to eat or drink. He stayed close by her side for days. Things only got worse late Friday night when the phone rang. Lorelai sprung up from her bed hoping it was Rory calling. She was wrong. It was Emily calling to berate her for not showing up for Friday night dinner. As Emily laid into her, Lorelai began to sob again. "Mom!" Lorelai finally yelled into the phone. "Rory's missing! We had a fight. She's pregnant. She took off in the middle of the night with her boyfriend. I have no idea where she is and I'm going crazy! Forgive me for forgetting about your precious Friday night dinner!" There was silence on the other end of the phone. Finally Emily spoke, "Are you at home?" "Yes" Lorelai replied shortly. "We're coming over. Your father and I are going to do everything we can. Stay there." With that she hung up. "Great" Lorelaid said to the empty room. She sighed and went back to bed.

The next week was spent with the entire town of Stars Hallow on high alert. Richard and Emily hired a private investigator to track Rory down, but nothing came of it. It seemed Rory and Jess had both vanished without a trace. After two weeks, Lorelai realized that Rory might not ever come back. The thought sent her into a deep depression. She shut down and took to her bed. Luke grew extremely concerned at her deteriorating condition. She had become a shadow of her former self. Luke knew it must be extremely hard for her, but could help but fear she was going down a very dangerous path. He tried to give her time, but she just got worse. Finally, Luke called in a therapist. He knew Lorelai would probably hate him, but he felt it was the only option. It took several months of hard work, but Lorelai eventually begun to get back into the rhythm of life, slowly.

Six months passed and Luke felt like the old Lorelai was beginning to come back to him. He knew she needed a distraction, so he encouraged her to work on opening her own inn with Sookie. Since the Independence Inn had been destroyed in the fire, Lorelai needed to find something to work on. Luke thought her new project would be just the thing to get her going again. Of course, Rory's birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all came and went. Leaving Lorelai grieving and bed ridden at times, but she seemed to be coping better as time went on.

Almost a year after Rory and Jess' departure, Luke finally got up the nerve to ask Lorelai out on a date. She was shocked, but accepted and the two quickly became Stars Hallow's hottest couple. They got engaged one snowy winter night and started planning a wedding. Just shy of the two year anniversary of Rory and Jess' disappearance, Luke and Lorelai were married. Amidst all the joy Lorelai felt that day, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness that Rory wasn't there. Luke was very supportive of her thoughts and feelings on the issue, as he had always been.

The couple started their life together and quickly settled into Lorelai's house. They renovated later that year, increasing the size of the kitchen and adding another bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Lorelai hadn't been able to change a thing in Rory's room since she left, but during the renovation, she felt like she finally had to tackle that project. So, one afternoon, she boxed everything up and placed it in the attic. She left a few books on the shelves and the furniture, but removed all Rory's personal belongings. Lorelai just couldn't bear to get rid of anything, but she also couldn't go on seeing the painful reminders of her daughter's absence. With Luke's help, the rearranged the furniture and painted the room, transforming it into a guest bedroom.

Close to the couple's two year wedding anniversary, little Jack Lucas Danes was born. Luke and Lorelai adored their little bundle of joy. Again, Lorelai couldn't help but think of the day Rory was born. Luke, being supportive as always, listened to her and held her as she cried later that night. Life moved on, however, and two years later, Luke and Lorelai welcomed William Richard Danes into the family. They couldn't have been happier. Lorelai got the middle she always wanted; a loving husband and two beautiful boys. Business at the Dragonfly and the Diner was booming. Richard and Emily came to Luke and Lorelai's house for Friday night dinners. Lorelai loved her life, but just couldn't ignore the pang of emptiness she felt in her heart for Rory. She vowed to enjoy the life she and Luke had made, but never forget Rory and hold out hope for her return.

As time marched forward, much too quickly for Lorelai's tastes, she fought against falling apart again as Rory's 30th birthday neared. She and Luke lay in bed one night, starring up at the ceiling. Luke pulled her close to him and said, "Tell me the story." With that Lorelai fought back tears as she retold the story of Rory's birth to Luke, so much like she wanted to share with Rory, but couldn't.

Lorelai snapped back to reality as she heard the front door slam shut. "Lorelai! Is everything ok? I've been calling your cell phone for an hour." Luke said while rushing into the kitchen. Two little boys rushed in behind him. "Jack, Will, go up to your room for a while" he said after seeing the look on Lorelai's face.

**A/N: Sorry for leaving you on such a cliffhanger! Don't hate me! I'll post the next chapter soon. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Rory…." She whispered while handing him the letter. Luke took the page and was shocked to see the message before his eyes.

"She wants contact, Luke" Lorelai said as tears filled her eyes. Luke hugged her while she cried for several minutes. After a while, Lorelai went over to the phone and picked it up. "Luke, I need to call her, it's been so long".

"Ok, wow. This is big. Why don't you go into our bedroom and call her. I'll take care of the spilled coffee and get the boys some dinner." Luke gave her a quick kiss on the check and went into the kitchen.

Lorelai took the phone upstairs and shut the bedroom door quietly before dialing Rory's number. She held her breath while the phone rang. After what seemed like forever, Rory answered the phone.

"Hello?" she said.

Hearing Rory's voice after twelve years, Lorelai's eyes filled with tears and she said a shaky "Rory? It's me. Mom."

"Mom…" Rory whispered.

"um…so, how are you?" Lorelai said through her tears.

"um, good, I guess." Rory sighed "Look mom, I know it's been so long, too long, but I love you. I miss you. I want to have a relationship with you again. I'm sorry for the past, but I can't change it. I just hope you can see what a good thing it turned out to be." Rory paused from her rant while waiting for Lorelai's response.

"Rory, I love you so much. I hate that we've been apart. I was so distraught after you left. I looked everywhere for you. Heck, I still look for you when I'm out and about. Just ask Luke. I'm always doing double takes and thinking I've seen you, when in reality, I haven't. It's been so hard without you. Where are you? When can I see you?" Lorelai took a deep breath and sat on the bed hoping she could see her daughter soon.

"It's been really hard for me too, Mom. I've needed you so many times, but I just couldn't reach out until now. Actually, Jess is mostly responsible for me writing that letter. He's almost called Luke so many times to force us back together. Wait, did you just say Luke?" Rory waited in confusion.

"Yeah, uh, actually, we're married. Did you say Jess encouraged you? He stuck around? Are you with him?"

Rory sighed, frustrated that her mom was once again doubting Jess. "agh! Of course I'm still with Jess, Mom! Why can't you just accept that I love him and actually want to be with the father of my children? Jess has been with me the last twelve years! We're married and raising our family together. You know, maybe we can't get past what happened twelve years ago. Maybe I shouldn't have done this."

"Wait Rory! I'm sorry! Please don't hang up!" Lorelai jumped up in a panic.

"Ok. I'm listening…" Rory crossed her arm and frowned.

"Rory, I'm sorry. I've accepted what happened twelve years ago, it's just that I've had no clue about your life for the last twelve years. Forgive me for not knowing that you were still with Jess. I can totally accept that and be happy for you. I'm glad you two stuck together and are happy. Please, let's get together and work this all out. Rory, I'm begging you. Please?" Lorelai closed her eyes tightly and waited for Rory's reply.

"Ok. Sorry for snapping so quickly. I guess we should try to put all those old feelings in the past and rebuild our relationship. It may be hard to get together. I'm living in Venice Beach, California with Jess and the kids, so I can't just up and leave for Stars Hallow."

"Venice Beach, California? Have you been there this whole time? Kids? As in more than one?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, we've been in Venice Beach this whole time. We started our life together here and have made it a wonderful home for our family. We actually have five kids. One girl and four boys." Rory stated.

"Wow. Five kids. You and Jess and five kids. Wow." Lorelai stated stunned.

"Yeah, it's a lot, but I love it, you know? They are all honestly the best thing that ever happened to me." Rory paused before continuing hesitantly "Mom, do you think we can get together? There are things we need to discuss, but I'd rather it be face to face."

"I think I can get to you. I just need to check with Luke and get Sookie to cover for me at the Inn." Lorelai quickly thought of how to get to Rory as fast as possible.

"Wait, Luke? Did you say you and Luke got married? When did that happen?" Rory wondered.

"Well, long story short, we both finally realized that we wanted to be more than just friends. We got married about ten years ago." Lorelai paused before continuing "We have two amazing little boys. Jack is eight and Will is six. So, you have two little brothers. They know about you, Rory. They know they have a sister out there."

Rory's lips curled into a grin at Lorelai's description of her family. She was genuinely happy for mother. "That's wonderful mom. Really, I'm so happy for you." Rory thought for a second before going on. "Can you come out here? To California? You really should meet your grandkids. They know about you too. I have a picture of you on my dresser and they ask questions all the time. They know their grandma is out there and loves them very much." Rory's eyes began to moisten at the thought of her children not knowing their grandmother all these years.

"I should be able to come this weekend. Let me check with Luke and get right back to you. Is that ok?"

"That should work out for us too. I'll talk to Jess and make sure we don't have something planned already. Call me right back, ok?" Rory hesitated to hang up the phone.

"I'll call you back in a millisecond. It'll be so fast you won't even know we hung up!"

"Ok, bye mom. I love you!"

"Bye Rory. I love you more than you know."

With that, Lorelai hung up the phone and went downstairs to talk to Luke. She smiled when she entered the kitchen and saw Luke and the boys busy cooking dinner together. Luke instantly looked at her and saw the joy in her eyes. Life was going to be back on track and better than ever for their family.

Rory hung up the phone and stared at it for a while until Jess waved his hand in front of her face.

"Earth to Rory. Hey? You ok in there?" He looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, what?" She looked up at him.

"I've been talking to you for a minute with no response. Who was on the phone Rory? You don't look so good. Are you feeling ok? Was that Dr. Benson?"

"That was my mom. She got my letter and called. We talked about some things. She's going to come out this weekend. Is that ok?"

"That's more than ok. Wow. You talked to her. How do you feel?" Jess asked concern still evident in his eyes.

"I feel relieved and happy at the same time. I've been so tense this past week waiting for her call. I'm glad we were able to begin to work some stuff out. There is still a lot more progress to be made, but I feel like we're getting back on track." Rory gave a small smile as she looked into his eyes.

"Good. You know I've always wanted you two to get back together." He reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace before leaning down to kiss her. "Are you going to tell her what the doctor said?" Jess wondered.

"Not right now. It's scary and I know we need her support, but I can't drop that bomb on her right now. Maybe when she's visiting we can discuss it." Rory sighed thinking about the recent news she had received from her doctor.

"Ok, whatever you decide is fine with me. I love you Rory." Jess looked into her eyes and kissed her again.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be Rory and Lorelai's reunion. Also, don't freak out, Rory's not pregnant again.**


	5. Chapter 5

_The next Friday…_

Jess stood in the baggage claim area of the Los Angeles Airport anxiously looking for Lorelai. It had been a crazy morning for the Mariano family. One of their employees at the bookstore called in sick and Jess had to open. Rory rushed around the house getting the kids ready and off to school for the day. After getting things settled at the bookstore, Jess rushed off to the airport to pick up Lorelai. Rory had been too nervous to drive and asked Jess to go to the airport while Rory cleaned up the house. She also didn't want the first time she saw her mother in twelve years to be in an airport. So, there was Jess Mariano, standing in baggage claim waiting for his mother in law. To be honest, he was a little nervous himself. After all, the last time he'd seen Lorelai was twelve years ago. He'd gotten her daughter pregnant and she was about ready to kill him. He figured she probably put some sort of hit out on him after he and Rory ran off the next day. In hindsight, Jess knew that probably wasn't the right thing to do at the time. However, he couldn't say he regretted it. Sure, he regretted all the hurt he'd caused Rory's family and Luke, but at the time he had been too brash to think about their feelings. He was just a scared nineteen year old kid who didn't know what else to do.

Running off to Venice Beach hadn't been the easiest thing to do, but it was a necessary step for Jess. He needed to start over and get his life together. He needed to mature and grow into a better man. Moving with Rory and having a family right away accelerated his personal development. Now, at the age of thirty one, Jess almost couldn't recognize the man he had developed into. Sure, his physical appearance was mainly the same, just older and more mature, but anyone who knew him twelve years ago would recognize him now. If they could see him now, they probably wouldn't expect to see a successful small business owner, loyal husband of twelve years, devoted father of five, home owner, SUV owner, and occasional parent volunteer for school activities. All he needed was the dog and he be the stereotypical all American man. Jess smirked and chuckled at how much he had changed. Never in a million years had he imagined himself having the life he had. He was damn lucky come to think of it. Things could have gone much worse for Jess and he knew it. That's why he made every effort to give his family the best life he could. Not just monetarily, but all around. He vowed back in his own childhood that if he'd ever have a family they would have everything in the world he could give them. He'd kept his word and was thrilled with his big wonderful family. Jess just hoped Lorelai could see that too. Hopefully he'd have a chance to explain his side of the story to her, just so he could feel at ease with her. He didn't want to be the guy who'd taken her precious little girl from her. He really wanted her to see the man he'd become. Jess sighed, shoved his hands in his pockets and scanned the area for her.

Finally, Jess spotted Lorelai and waved so she could see him. "Lorelai! Over here, Lorelai!" She smiled when she spotted him and quickly embraced him in a tight hug.

"Jess! I never thought I'd be so happy to see you." She said as she loosened her grip and stood back from him.

"Good to see you too Lorelai, or should I say 'mom'." He grinned at the last statement. He relaxed a little when he realized she wasn't going to sucker punch him right there in the airport.

Lorelai smirked back and asked, "Where's Rory? I thought she would be here too?"

"She's back at the house. We kind of had a crazy morning, so she wanted to get the house back in order before you arrive. Let's get your bags and get out of here."

"Sounds like a plan" Lorelai said as they both moved closer to the baggage carousel. They quickly gathered her things and made their way to the parking garage and Jess had them on their way to Venice Beach. They mainly sat in silence as Jess drove. They both had so much to say to one another, but weren't quite ready to let it all out. As he pulled the car up to his and Rory's house he sighed.

"Ok, here we are. Ready?" He asked Lorelai.

"Ready as I'll ever be, let's go." With that she got out of the car and Jess nodded for her to go up to the house while he grabbed her bags. Lorelai quickly made her way to the front door and paused. Before she could knock, Rory flung the door open and enveloped her in a big hug.

"Mom!" Rory said as she held on to her mother for the first time in years.

"Rory" Lorelai said through sniffles. Jess quietly slid past them with Lorelai's bags and went to place them in the guest room. He quickly went to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.

As soon as Jess poured two cups of coffee he saw Rory and Lorelai walking into the living room. "Here, you could both probably use this." He said while hand a cup of coffee to each of them. "I'll just be up in the office while you two chat. Yell if you need something."

"Thanks, love" Rory said as he walked towards the stairs.

Lorelai started the conversation back up while staring at her daughter in wonder, "wow kid. You've grown so much. I can't believe it. I'm getting old, I swear."

"Well, I am thirty." Rory said with a smirk.

"ugh. Don't remind me. That makes me really old then." Lorelai smiled at Rory. "So, tell me about your family. I haven't heard much about them. I want to know everything."

"Yes, good place to start." Rory nodded her head and took a sip of coffee. "Well, first of all, you have an eleven year old granddaughter. Her name is Lorelai Jane. We thought it would be good to continue the Lorelai tradition. You can never have too many Lorelai's, you know?" Lorelai smiled at Rory. She felt honored and humbled that Jess and Rory would give their daughter the name she and Rory shared. Rory smiled back and continued on "We've all called her Janie since she was little. She's amazing. You'll absolutely love her. She's so smart. She looks just like me, but with Jess' thick dark hair." Rory stood up and grabbed a recent family picture off the mantel above the fireplace. She handed it to Lorelai while pointing to Janie.

Rory then pointed to Drew. "That's Drew. He's nine and just like his dad. See that smirk on his face? Total Jess! We've got many years of pranks ahead of us." Rory chuckled and looked up to see Lorelai smiling at her and Jess' family.

"Next is Alex." Rory pointed to happy looking little boy with hair the same shade of brown as Rory's. "He's seven and really into reading right now. He's always got a book in his hands. In fact, his teacher called last week to see if everything is alright with him. He doesn't want to play at recess. He just wants to read. Reminds me of myself at that age." Lorelai smiled wider and thought of a little Rory curled up by a tree outside the Independence Inn reading all summer long.

Rory turned her attention back to the family photo and pointed to two small boys. "That's Danny and that's Nick. They're five years old." Lorelai looked up at Rory with shock in her eyes. "Yup, twins." Rory nodded and smiled. "Total surprise, by the way, but I wouldn't trade them for anything."

"Looks like you've got a great family, Rory." Lorelai leaned over and hugged Rory again while wiping tears away. "I can't wait to meet them all. When will they get home from school?"

Rory looked up at the clock and realized it was getting close to lunch already. "Well, Danny and Nick get out of kindergarten at noon, so the bus should drop them off around 12:20. They'll be here soon. Want to help me get lunch together?" Lorelai nodded and got off the couch to help Rory prepare lunch.

They spend the next couple minutes chatting about the happenings in Stars Hallow and about Luke and Lorelai's sons, Jack and Will.

"Sounds like you finally got your middle." Rory stated as she finished the last sandwich.

"Yeah, it's been great, kid, but there has been one piece missing this entire time." Lorelai said while looking into Rory's eyes. "I'm so happy we're talking again, Rory. I've hated being apart from you. Promise we'll never be apart again?"

"Deal." Rory said while giving her mom another hug.

Just then Jess walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Have you two been hugging since I went upstairs earlier?" He joked.

"No, we talked too." Rory smirked at him. "Are you going to meet the boys at the bus stop?"

"Yup, on my way now. Let the circus begin!" He said while starting for the door.

"Hang on." Rory said. Jess stopped and turned toward her. "Should you talk to them before they come in? I know we had a family discussion last night, but I don't want them to be caught off guard." Rory worried.

"Rory, relax. The kids are all excited to see their Grammy, remember?" Jess assured her.

"Ok, you're right. I'm just being a little crazy I guess. Go ahead and go. We'll wait here."

"Be right back" Jess said before pecking her on the check and heading out the door.

Rory turned to Lorelai and said, "Ready for the circus that is my family?" She joked.

"Bring it on!" Lorelai grinned and then grew a little concerned. "Is it really that crazy around here?"

"Well, five kids running around here can get a little on the crazy side, but they're all so great. Jess and I love every minute of it. Wouldn't trade it for the world." Rory smiled.

Just then the door flew open and two small boys rushed to Rory. "Mommy!" They yelled before giving her big hugs. "oof" she said as they flew into her. "Hi Danny. Hi Nick. How was school? Did you learn a lot?"

"Lots!" Danny said.

"We made special pictures today!" Nick said enthusiastically. They boys went over to Jess and reached for their backpacks.

"Daddy, we need out backpacks. The pictures are in there." Danny said.

"Ok, let's see here" Jess said as he helped each boy open their backpack.

"Look!" Nick said while holding his picture up. "It's a picture of me and Grammy!"

"I made one too!" Danny said while holding his up for examination.

"Wow! Those look great!" Rory said while examining their projects. "Do you want to show them to Grammy?" She quietly asked. They both nodded while looking shyly behind their mother toward Lorelai.

Rory turned and looked up at Lorelai, who had been silently observing the family. Lorelai moved toward the boys and bent down to greet them.

"Hi Danny. Hi Nick. I'm your grandma. Is it ok if I give you a hug?" She asked tentatively. They both looked at each other first then nodded in agreement. Lorelai scooped them up and kissed each boy's check. Eventually, she released them and stood back a little.

"Look at our pictures Grammy!" Danny said while shoving the paper in Lorelai's face.

"Wow! Those are terrific! Rory, you didn't tell me you had two little artists here. Call the Louvre! Call the Met! Someone needs to know about these two!" Lorelai said enthusiastically.

The boys giggled and Nick said, "Grammy, you're silly."

Jess chuckled and said to Danny and Nick, "Hey guys, why don't you take your silly Grammy upstairs and show her your room?"

Danny and Nick jumped up at the idea and grabbed Lorelai's hands. "Come on Grammy!" Nick said as they pulled her towards the stairs. Lorelai smiled and followed along.

Jess smiled and shook his head at the boys' antics. He looked over at Rory and asked "How are you feeling? Things still going ok between you to?"

"Yeah, so far. I mean we haven't really had an in-depth conversation, but I'm feeling good about us."

"Good. I'm sure you'll get a chance to really discuss things before the weekend is over. Let me know if there is anything I can do, ok?" He asked.

"Just you being here is all I need right now. Thanks." She smiled before giving him a quick kiss. "I guess we should head upstairs to make sure those two don't have mom tied to a chair."

"Why do you always assume they're going to do stuff like that" Jess smirked at her.

"Because I know what their father would do." Rory joked as she grabbed Jess' hand and they started up the stairs.

A few hours later, Jess walked back to the bus stop to wait for Janie, Drew, and Alex. He smiled as the bus pulled up and the children exited and gave their father quick hugs.

"Everything go good at school?" He asked. Janie and Alex nodded and smiled. Drew just rolled his eyes at them.

"It was ok. The usual boring stuff" he huffed.

"Ok, well, let's go home. So, you know your Grandma is here, right?" Jess explained. "She's really excited to meet you all. She's great, you know. There's nothing to be nervous about." He looked at Janie as he finished his sentence. She hadn't said anything to him or Rory, but he could tell she was a little on edge about meeting her grandmother for the first time. She gave him as small smile as the group walked toward their house.

Upon entering the house, Jess called out "Hey! We're here!" Rory came down the stairs followed closely by Lorelai who stopped once she saw her three oldest grandchildren.

"Hi mom" Janie said while giving her a small hug.

Rory smiled at her and turned to face Lorelai.

"Janie, this is your Grandma Lorelai." Janie stepped forward to look at her and said a tentative "Hi". Lorelai was stunned at the girl standing before her. She was the exact image of her mother at that age, only with darker hair. Lorelai quickly walked over to her and engulfed her in a tight hug.

"Hi sweetie. I'm so happy to finally meet you." She said while releasing Janie. Janie smiled back at her and was grateful for the warm reception she received.

Lorelai turned to Drew and Alex and said "Now who are these two handsome young men?" Alex slumped his shoulders and blushed slightly at the attention.

"I'm Drew and that's Alex" Drew quickly said.

Lorelai was struck at how much Drew looked like his father. All that seemed to be missing was a leather jacket, but hopefully he wouldn't pick that up for a few more years, Lorelai thought. She gave him a hug and then embraced Alex.

"Now that we've all met, who's up for a pizza?" Rory asked while walking over to the phone.

"Yay! Can we get breadsticks too?" Alex questioned.

"Sure bud. Why don't you and Drew go grab a few board games from upstairs? We can do a family game/pizza night." Rory answered as she dialed the pizza shop.

"Well Lorelai, you're in for a treat. Game night is always a highlight around here. I hope you're ready for this." Jess said while walking over to the coffee pot to make fresh coffee.

"It's really fun." Janie said to Lorelai. "We all start out playing the same game, but end up play in two groups by the end of the night. Mom, Alex, and I like to play by the rules that come with the game. Dad and Drew think it's funny to try and change the rules halfway through the game. I don't know that Danny and Nick really notice, so they just play with Dad and Drew or end up doing their own thing." She stated matter of fact.

"Well, I'm not sure you're going to like playing with me then. I like to mix the rules up too." Lorelai grinned as Jess turned to smirk at her. "Your mom used to get very upset with me for doing that when she was your age."

"You can't just up and change the rules!" Rory said as she hung up the phone. "If you change them, you're no longer playing the same game. How do you even decide who wins?" Rory crossed her arms waiting for an answer from her mother.

"Exactly. Nobody wins. You just have fun." Lorelai said while Rory huffed and threw her arms up playfully.

Janie found the exchange rather amusing while Jess smiled and remembered how the two women used to banter back and forth.

Several hours later, the family lay sprawled out across the living room floor. Several pizza boxes were scattered around the room and, true to Janie's word, two groups had been formed. Jess, Drew, Danny, Nick, and Lorelai on one side while Rory, Janie, and Alex were on the other side. Danny and Nick had long since fallen asleep on the floor. Alex and Drew were begging to drift off as well.

"aha!" Rory said as she placed the card on the floor. "I win!" Rory's enthusiasm jolted Jess out of his game and he surveyed the room.

"Well, I guess that means it time to call it a night. Grab Danny while I get Nick?" He asked Rory. They both lifted the boys, careful not to wake them. Lorelai stood and gave each boy a kiss on the check.

"Drew, Alex when we come back down you're both going up." Rory said as she walked toward the stairs.

"But I'm not tired!" Alex said while barely keeping his eyes open.

Rory gave him a serious look and continued up the stairs.

Minutes later, Jess and Rory descended the stairs after tucking Danny and Nick in.

"Ok Drew and Alex. You're next." Jess said while Drew got up and slowly started up the stairs. Alex had lost his battle to stay awake and lay sleeping on the couch. Jess picked him up with an "oof". "He's seriously getting too heavy to be carried up the stairs." He said while Rory followed him up.

"I guess you're next." Lorelai said to Janie.

"Yeah. They don't really force me to go to bed as early as Drew and Alex anymore, but I'm kind of tired tonight. I think I'll head up to my room. Goodnight Grammy." Janie said while moving to give Lorelai a kiss on the check.

"Goodnight sweets. Sweet dreams." Lorelai said as Janie moved toward the stairs. She wondered if something was bothering Janie, but shook it off as her just being tired.

Lorelai glanced at the clock and noticed it was nine o'clock already. She yawned thinking back on what a long day it had been. She slumped down onto the couch to wait for Rory and Jess.

"Well, just us grownups left." Rory said slightly startling Lorelai as she slumped down on the couch next to her. "Long day, huh?"

"Yeah, but a really good one." Lorelai smiled at her. "I'm really happy to be here with you kiddo."

"We're happy you're here too, mom. I'm exhausted. Can we spend some time alone together tomorrow?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, whatever you want. You've suddenly become very serious. Is everything ok?" Lorelai worried.

"It's fine. I just think we should discuss what happened twelve years ago. I think we both have things that need to be said. Clear the air and move on, you know?"

"You're right. We can't ignore the past. Better to deal with it and move on to more positive things."

"Ok, well then, I guess this is goodnight. If you need anything at all, just come get me or Jess. We'll be right upstairs." Rory said in a motherly tone.

"Ok, mom. I promise to come get you if I have a bad dream." Lorelai joked.

"That did sound a little motherly didn't it? Well, comes with the territory I guess." Rory smiled and gave her mom a big goodnight hug. "Goodnight. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetie. See you tomorrow." Lorelai said as she moved toward the guest bedroom just off the living room.

Rory let out a heavy breath as Lorelai closed the bedroom door. She headed upstairs to her and Jess' bedroom.

"Mom and I are going to spend some time alone tomorrow. We need to talk about a lot of stuff." Rory said upon entering the master bathroom where Jess was brushing his teeth.

"Good. You should talk. I'll keep the kids occupied after breakfast. Why don't you take Lorelai down to the beach? Good place to have a serious talk." Jess said. He and Rory always had their serious talks on the beach. Serious discussions were few and far between, but the beach always seemed to help them work everything out.

"Exactly my plan." Rory said while getting ready for bed.

Minutes later they both slid into bed and huddled close together before quickly drifting off to sleep.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

Early Saturday morning, Jess sat on the back porch, sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Just as he thought of going back inside, Lorelai opened the screen door and stepped out.

"Hey. You're up early." She said noticing him sitting in a patio chair. "I hope you don't mind, but I helped myself to the coffee." Lorelai said while pointing to the cup in her hand.

"No, it's totally cool. I was actually just going to see if you were up and wanted any." Jess stated. "I've actually become a morning person, believe it or not." He answered to her earlier question. "I used to get up early for work and the habit just stuck. Plus, it's nice to have some quiet time to myself each day. I usually give Rory a few extra hours of sleep on Saturday, so I get up early to run interference with the kids. What are you doing up this early? I thought you appreciated your beauty sleep as much as Rory does?"

"I'm still on east coast time, so it's not that early for me. Plus, I wanted to check in with Luke this morning. Make sure things are under control." Lorelai added.

Jess nodded and looked into his coffee as Lorelai took a seat in a nearby chair. "I hope you don't still hate me." He blurted out.

Lorelai was a bit taken aback by his forwardness. "What? Hate you? Jess, I don't hate you."

"You're not still pissed at me for taking Rory away from you?" He looked up from his coffee at Lorelai.

"No. I admit I was ready to tear you apart with my bare hands after I realized she could be with you, but that was then. It took me a while to release that anger, but it's gone now. I don't fully understand your decisions, but I had to forgive you in order to move on with the healing process. I didn't think being angry at you or Rory would ever bring me back to you. So, no, I don't hate you."

Jess sighed and slumped his shoulders in relief. "I'm sorry, you know? I didn't want to hurt you or Luke, but I didn't know what else to do at the time. I was scared and confused. You have to understand that I did what I did with the best intentions for Rory and Janie. I did the best I could with what little I had. I took care of them. I've been there and made every effort to give them a comfortable life." Jess paused hoping what he'd said resonated with Lorelai.

"I regret that you felt that way, Jess. However, I'm very proud of you and Rory. You've done well for yourselves. Thank you, by the way, for taking care of my baby. It's been comforting to know she's been taken care of. I practically drove myself crazy thinking of all the horrible things that could have happened to her. Thank you for everything, Jess." She said looking into his eyes. "I think I can also relate your need to start over. After all, I did something similar with Rory when we left my parents house. I understand the need to do things on your own terms and make your own way in the world. I'm sorry you felt that way, but I'm grateful to have you all in my life now."

Jess nodded, taking in her words. He looked back up and grinned in understanding. "Thanks Lorelai. I appreciate that. More coffee?" He asked seeing her now empty cup.

"Yes, please."

They both got up and walked back into the house and headed for the kitchen and more coffee.

"I have to say, this is kinda weird." Lorelai said looking around and then at Jess.

"What do you mean?" He frowned

"You and Rory. Grown up. Kids and a house." She stated.

Jess shook his head in understanding. "Yeah, it's definitely not what I pictured when I was younger, but it's really great. I love Rory and the kids. I'd step in front of a bus for them. Everything turned out really great, considering the circumstances we started out with."

"I agree. You've got a great life Jess. Don't ever forget take it for granted."

As Lorelai finished her sentence as sleepy little boy wondered into the kitchen in search of Jess. "Daddy, breakfast" Danny said while wrapping himself around Jess' legs.

"Morning buddy. Breakfast, huh? Well, I guess we should get that started. Is Nick up yet?" Jess smiled down at the little boy.

"I'll go check on Nicky." Lorelai stated while beginning to move toward the stairs.

Danny's head snapped up to look at his dad with wide eyes. Lorelai noticed this and frowned at his panicked look.

Jess reached out and touched her arm, stopping her. "Hey, uh. He really doesn't like to be called 'Nicky'."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize. I won't let it happen again." She apologized.

"Don't worry about it. It's just since he started kindergarten that he doesn't like it anymore. See, there is a girl by the name of Nicole in his class. She goes by 'Nikki', so the other boys started teasing him and saying he was a girl because they shared a nickname. He's since taken to getting upset when we call him Nicky. So, it's strictly 'Nick' around here now." Jess explained.

"Oh, I see. Nick it is then." Lorelai nodded and went upstairs to find the young boy.

Several minutes later, Jess, Lorelai, and all the kids were gathered around the kitchen table eating breakfast. Rory wondered down the stairs and smiled at the group.

"Hey, good morning, sleepy head. Sleep well?" Jess asked as she gave him a short kiss.

"mmm. Morning. I slept ok. Thanks for the extra couple hours, I needed that." She replied.

Jess moved to the oven and pulled out a pan of waffles. "Here, saved you a couple warm ones." He said while putting them on a plate.

"Waffles, yum." She said while pulling up a chair next to Lorelai. "Everyone sleep well last night?" She asked the group. Everyone nodded while continuing to eat breakfast.

A few minutes later, Rory and Lorelai were headed out the front door as Jess was cleaning up the kitchen. Rory tightened her grip on a worn leather journal before turning to Jess. "We'll be back after a while. I've got my cell on in case you need anything."

"Ok, take all the time you need." He said as she turned to leave. Jess noticed that Lorelai had a shoebox tucked under her arm and wondered what that was all about.

After walking several minutes in silence, Lorelai and Rory reached the beach and Rory began to lay out a blanket she had been carrying. After it was to her liking, she sat down and patted the blanket for Lorelai to sit next to her. Lorelai complied and set the shoebox between them. Rory looked at it briefly before setting the worn leather journal she brought down next to it.

"I kept this journal while we were apart. Every time I wanted to talk to you or wanted to share something, I wrote it in here." She said while picking up the journal again. She held it out to Lorelai, who willingly accepted it and began to thumb through the pages.

"I started writing after Jess and I moved here. I kept it so you would know I always thought of you and so you could one day read about all the special events in my life. Like my wedding day, the day each of the kids were born, their birthdays, your birthday, my birthday." As she talked, Rory absentmindedly played with her wedding ring. Lorelai noticed her fidgeting and saw the ring for the first time. Rory followed Lorelai's eyes as they landed on the ring.

"I wrote about my ring, too." She added. "It should be one of the first entries, near the one about our wedding." Rory paused while her mom flipped to the front of the book and found what she was looking for.

"The ring is really simple. Just a plain gold band, but it means so much to me. Jess is always asking if he can buy me a replacement with a diamond in it. I'll never let him. See, when we had no money, Jess worked extra shifts and scrapped together just enough to buy me this. He gave it to me on our wedding day and said one day he'd buy me a real one with a diamond. I prefer this though. I'd rather have this than the world's largest diamond, because when we had nothing, Jess gave it to me as a token of his love. I know it's kind of cheesy and sappy, but I don't care. It's a sweet story." Rory finished and looked up at Lorelai who had been listening intently to her daughter's story.

"That's really sweet. Jess really has a soft side after all." Lorelai grinned before looking down at the shoebox.

"Well, I've got something similar for you, Rory." She handed Rory the box and watched as she opened it. "Every time I wanted to share something with you, I wrote you a letter. I folded them up, put them in an envelope, and even sealed them. I just never had an address to mail them to. I thought maybe one day I'd be able to send them to you and you'd talk to me again." Lorelai shrugged as she continued. "Every birthday, holiday, and special event. It's all there." Rory was shocked to see that her mother had done this for her. She never expected that while she was writing her thoughts and feelings in a journal, her mother may have been writing her a letter at the same time.

"Thank you so much, mom. It's really great to have all these letters. I really want to go through them right now, but I think some things need to be discussed first." Rory suddenly got very serious. "We need to talk about what happened the night I left Stars Hollow." Lorelai nodded while Rory continued. "I know I hurt you by leaving like that. I was so scared when I found out I was pregnant. It was the last thing I ever thought would happen at that time, so I was totally freaked out. I felt bad too, because I knew you wanted more for me than to go down the same road you did. I knew you would be mad, but I thought that you would want to support me and help me. I felt so hurt and lost when we fought that night. I felt like you didn't want me anymore; that I was just this horrible screw up daughter that you hated."

"No Rory, I never felt that way. I loved you very much, and still do. You were never a screw up and I always wanted you." Lorelai quickly cut her off before pulling her into a tight embrace. The pair cried together for a few minutes before Lorelai continued. "I'm sorry for getting so upset that night. I was really freaked out and scared about everything. I saw you losing the opportunities I wanted for you, the things I never had or wasn't fortunate enough to experience. I was also mad at Jess, too, to be completely honest. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry. So so sorry. I wanted to tell you that the next morning when I woke up, but you were gone." Lorelai said and looked down at the blanket while wiping tears from her eyes.

Rory instantly felt even more horrible than she already did upon hearing Lorelai's side of the story. "I feel horrible for leaving, but at the time I just didn't see any other option. I couldn't sleep that night. I just lay in bed crying. When Jess came to my window and offered what seemed like a solution, I took it. I knew you would be sad, but I really didn't consider the ramification of my actions at the time. Of course, as I grew up and when Janie was born, I realized how horrible I had been. I've been feeling so guilty about leaving, but I was too proud and stubborn to admit I was wrong. Once I finally accepted that, I just couldn't get up the nerve to call you. I'm pretty sure I completely drove Jess nuts with the number of times I've picked up the phone to call but then hung up before even dialing your number. He's the reason for the letter. He suggested that I just write to you and let you decide to take the next step or not. I'm so so glad you called mom." Rory said while embracing Lorelai again.

"oh Rory. My precious Rory. I'm so sorry for all of this. I know we both did things we regret now, but we can't undo them." She said while clinging to her daughter. "We've said our peace and admitted our wrongs. Let's move on to better things. I love you so much Rory."

"I love you so much too mom. You're right. Let's move on." Rory said while putting the letters back in the shoe box. "I really do want to read these, but it's too sad to think about right now. I missed out on so much of your life and you've missed out on mine too. I want to go through these slowly so I don't have to feel all that pain right away."

"Good idea. I'm going to read through this journal. I'm sure we can find joy in these events too Rory. It's not all sadness. This way we can see some of that."

They both let out a sigh of relief and lay down on the blanket. They lay there for a while longer taking in the sun and the smells of the ocean. Both relaxed and tried to put their minds at ease.

"How about some coffee?" Rory broke the silence with.

"Do you really need to ask?" Lorelai grinned.

"Ok, well, let's pack all this up and walk up the street. There is this great little coffee shop Jess and I love."

"Sounds like a plan." Lorelai said as she got up and started packing everything up.

As the pair walked into the coffee shop, the barista's greeted Rory. She quickly introduced Lorelai to each of them and ordered two large cups of black coffee. They took it to go and Rory led Lorelai down the street. "I want you to see the bookstore." She said as they approached. Lorelai nodded and followed along.

Rory entered the store and greeted the employee by the register. "Jess and the kids are in the back." He informed her. She nodded before turning to Lorelai. "Well, this is it. It's not too big, but it's ours."

"This is great Rory. There is a really cool vibe here." Lorelai noted as she looked around.

"Let's go in the back and see what Jess and the kids are up to."

Lorelai followed her while they quickly moved to the back of the store. They entered the backroom and found the rest of the family scattered around the room reading various books.

"Hey" Jess said looking up as they entered. He quickly got up and went over to Rory. He gave her a hug while whispering in her ear "everything go ok?" She nodded and gave a small smile. He was relieved, but knew Rory hadn't shared one important piece of news with Lorelai. She looked far too calm to have heard about it. He resolved to ask Rory about it later.

"Ok, everyone want to go back home?" He asked, turning to face the kids.

"Do we have to?" Janie whined. "I'm in the middle of the best part." She said while gesturing to her book.

"I'll stay with her for a while if you guys want to head back." Lorelai offered.

"I'll stay too." Rory suggested.

"Ok, us men will head home and prepare a fire or something else many." Jess said while puffing out his chest. "Fall in line troops." He called while heading out the door.

Rory chuckled and playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Just don't burn the house down!" She called after them.

Rory grabbed a nearby magazine and handed one to Lorelai. They took up residence on the floor near Janie and waited for her to finish her book.

**A/N: Thanks again for reading! I know I keep leaving you in the dark, but don't worry, we'll find out what's wrong with Rory in the next chapter. I promise. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! **

Janie closed the book she was reading and sighed. She held the book in her lap for a moment and closed her eyes.

"Good ending?" Rory asked her daughter.

"Yeah. I always enjoy Jane Austen." She said quietly.

"True." Rory nodded and turned to Lorelai to explain. "I used to read Jane Austen novels to Janie all the time when she was a baby. Sometimes it was the only thing that would calm her down. I'm pretty sure all the other kids in her kindergarten class thought she was a freak when she said she wanted to grow up to be Jane Austen." Rory smiled at the memory of her little girl. "You never know though. You could end up being just as famous one day, kid."

"Well, I don't know about that." Janie said while looking down at her book.

"What's wrong?" Rory frowned as she sat next to Janie and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

"You, Dad, and Grammy have been talking a lot about how it's been twelve years since you last saw each other." Rory nodded and looked at Janie to continue. "Well, I'm eleven, getting closer to twelve, and I'm not stupid. I figured you must have found out about me around the time you stopped talking. So, I'm kind of the reason for all this." Janie finished and looked down.

"Janie, don't ever think that. It's not your fault at all. You have nothing to do with why Grammy and I stopped talking. It's our problem that completely not your fault at all. We share all the blame for that. I love you sweetie and don't ever want you to feel any different." Rory said as she pulled Janie into a hug. She looked over at Lorelai with pain in her eyes. Rory hadn't realized the feelings Janie had been harboring.

Lorelai joined Rory and Janie on the floor and wrapped her arms around both of them. "Janie. You're a precious gift to all of us. You are by no means at fault for what happened. It was between your mother and I. I never once felt anything other than love for you."

"Thanks" Janie murmured against Rory's shoulder. "I love you both too."

Lorelai and Rory release her from their tight hold and wiped her tears. "Feel better?" Lorelai asked. Janie nodded and wrapped her arms around Lorelai and Rory's waists.

"Can we get coffee now?" She smiled and asked hopefully.

"Nice try kiddo, but no. Not until you're at least thirteen. That's the rule your Dad and I set. We can go get slurpees or ice cream instead, if you want." Rory offered.

"Ok, let's get ice cream." Janie smiled and let them out of the back room and through the bookstore before heading towards the local ice cream shop.

_Later that night…_

Rory sat curled up with a blanket while sitting an outdoor sofa on the back porch of her and Jess' house. Jess opened the screen door and walked over to Rory with two cups of coffee. He sat down next to her and she offered part of the blanket to him. He waved it off and zipped his jacket up.

"It's getting chilly out here now that the sun's down. Why don't you have a jacket? That blanket can't be warm enough?"

"I'm fine for now." She explained.

"Lorelai's inside calling Luke. She wanted to say goodnight to Jack and Will before it got too late there." Rory nodded at his explanation while Jess continued. "Rory, are you going to talk to Lorelai about you know what?"

"Yeah, I know I need to, but it's hard to bring up. We're all so happy now. I don't want to ruin it. I know she's going to be upset." Rory said while Jess wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I can help you tell her, you know. It is scary, but she should know. I don't think you can keep putting it off anymore." Jess said while softly rubbing her arm.

Just as Rory opened her mouth to answer, Lorelai opened the screen door and stepped out onto the porch.

"There you two are. I went upstairs, but the kids seem pretty occupied in some video game." She said while taking a seat opposite of Rory and Jess.

"We've just been enjoying a cup of coffee." Jess explained while getting up. "I'll grab you a cup real quick." He quickly went into the house to retrieve the beverage.

"How's Luke?" Rory asked.

"Good. The boys were already asleep though. I keep forgetting that there's a three hours time difference."

Jess returned with a large mug of coffee and offered it to Lorelai.

"Thanks. You're my favorite son-in-law." She grinned while he smirked back at her.

Jess settled in next to Rory and looked at her as if asking permission to bring the long dreaded subject to life. She nodded and grabbed his hand for support.

"Mom, we need to talk to you about something." Rory started. Jess squeezed her hand to encourage her. "It's kind of bad news actually." She said while looking down.

"Rory, Jess, what's wrong?" Lorelai asked growing worried at the sullen looks on their faces.

Rory trembled slightly at her mother's words, but continued. "I, uh, went into my OB/GYN a couple weeks ago for a regular check up. During the exam she noticed something strange." Rory paused to look up at Lorelai who's eyes went were filled with fear. "There were some unusual cysts on my ovaries. The doctor wanted to do a biopsy and remove them." The tears that had filled Rory's eyes began to spill over as she began to shake. Jess wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to himself.

Jess looked at Rory with tears in his own eyes and continued for her, "uh, the biopsy didn't turn out that great. Dr. Benson ran a bunch of tests and it turns out that it's not good." He swallowed the lump in his throat and quickly wiped his eyes before finishing. "It's ovarian cancer, Lorelai."

Tears streamed down Lorelai's checks and she began to feel dizzy. She shook her head and rushed over to hug Rory. She pulled her from Jess and began to rock her back and forth on the sofa.

After a few minutes, Rory stopped Lorelai and pulled back a little. She grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Mom, we're going to get through this. I'm not going to let this cancer win." Rory stated with determination in her eyes.

"Ok, what are your treatment options?" Lorelai asked.

"We've got an appointment with Dr. Benson on Monday to find out." Jess said while rubbing Rory's back. "It sounds like Dr. Benson has high hopes for a full recovery, but she wants to take an aggressive approach. I guess that means whatever treatment options we have will start really soon."

"I'm going to help in any way I can. You won't be alone in this, Rory." Lorelai assured her.

"Thanks for your support mom. Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything" Lorelai answered.

"Can you not say anything to the kids about this yet? We want to tell them after we know my treatment options. They're going to have a lot of questions and we want to actually be able to answer them. I really don't want to withhold this from them, but I need to have a game plan before I tell them." Rory explained hoping Lorelai would understand.

"I completely understand and respect your decision. I'll keep it quiet." Lorelai promised.

"Thanks Lorelai, we appreciate it." Jess hugged Rory and got off the couch. "Speaking of kids, I should go upstairs and check on them. It's probably getting close to bed time by now."

After the screen door closed behind Jess, Lorelai pulled Rory into a tight hug again. "This sucks so much." She said bluntly.

"I couldn't agree more." Rory said while pulling away. "I'm scared to death about this, but I'm determined to beat this." She said very seriously.

"And I'll help in any way I can." Lorelai added.

The night continued on and soon the kids were asleep in their beds. Jess was downstairs tidying up the kitchen and didn't notice Lorelai sneak past him in her pajamas and quickly move up the stairs. She quietly opened the door to Rory and Jess' bedroom and noticed Rory sitting up in bed reading a book.

"Hey" Rory said after noticing Lorelai's presence. "Everything ok? Monsters under your bed?" She joked.

"Can I sleep in here tonight?" Lorelai asked softly while walking closer to the bed.

Rory chuckled softly before realizing her mom wasn't joking and really wanted to sleep in her bed. "Sure. What's the matter?"

"I just want to be close to you is all. I'm still pretty shaken up about everything."

Rory closed her book, set it on the nightstand and pulled back the covers on Jess' side of the bed. "Climb on in."

Lorelai quickly slid under the covers as Rory turned off the lamp and scooted close to her. Lorelai wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tightly. Rory relaxed into her mother's arms and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Minutes later, Jess check the locks on the doors, turn off the lights and head upstairs. He opened the door to his and Rory's room and quietly went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He was a little surprised to see Rory already asleep, but thought she was probably exhausted after an emotional day. After brushing his teeth and stripping down to his boxers, he quietly moved to his side of the bed. He lifted the covers and was about to slide in when he noticed Lorelai was sleeping there. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he noticed Rory and Lorelai curled up together fast asleep. He quietly put the covers down and left the room. Jess thought it would be way too awkward to sleep with Lorelai there, so he grabbed a blanket and settled in on the couch for the night. He yawned and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Lorelai awoke to find the bed empty. She looked over at the clock on the nightstand and noticed it was only seven am. Rory wasn't usually an early riser, Lorelai wondered where she was. After a fitful night's sleep, Lorelai gave up on sleeping in and threw the covers back while sitting up. She slowly placed her feet on the floor and got out of bed. She wandered downstairs to find Rory sitting in the living room, cup of coffee in hand, talking with Jess, who was still sprawled out on the couch.

"Good morning" Lorelai said while going into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She joined Jess and Rory in the living room shortly after. "Sorry I took over your bed last night." She said while looking at Jess and his makeshift bed.

"It's no problem. You sleep ok?"

"Yeah" She lied.

"oh hey, your cell phones been buzzing on and off for at least an hour in the guest room." Rory remembered.

Lorelai got up and moved to check on who needed her so early. Upon entering the room, she noticed her phone vibrating on the nightstand. She picked it up and let out a groan after seeing how had been calling. None other than Emily Gilmore. "Crap" She said before setting the phone down and entering the living room.

"I'm going to go take a shower and get ready before answering that call." Lorelai said while walking past Rory and Jess.

"Who was it?" Rory questioned.

"Emily Gilmore" Lorelai said plainly while continuing up the stairs.

Rory's eyes went wide and she looked over at Jess. "I completely forgot to ask about Grandma and Grandpa!"

"I'm sure you'll be back in touch with them real soon. Seems like Emily's calling to find out what's going on." Jess offered.

After Lorelai had showered and finished getting ready, she retrieved her cell phone from the guest bedroom and sat on the couch in the living room, which Jess had vacated. Rory looked over at her and said "I can't believe I completely forgot to ask about Grandma and Grandpa. How are they?"

"Good. Older. They've actually mellowed out quite a bit, but I think I may have gotten on Mom's bad side again. I told her and Dad about the letter and getting back in touch with you, but forgot to mention coming out here to see you." Lorelai admitted. "From all the messages on my phone, it looks like she found out."

"Well, then you better call her quick. Oh, after you explain, I want to talk to her."

Lorelai nodded and dialed a familiar number. After ringing several times, which was unusual in the Gilmore house, an irritated Emily Gilmore answered the phone "Hello?"

"Mom, it's Lorelai"

"Lorelai! What on earth is wrong with you! You're in California visiting Rory! Why didn't you inform me or your father? I have to hear it from Luke when we show up for Friday night dinner!" Emily barked at her.

Lorelai hesitated for a moment to long and Emily continued, "Well, Lorelai, are you going to answer me or not?"

"uh, sorry Mom. I guess I just got so excited to see Rory that I forgot to mention my trip." She quickly blurted out and continued before Emily could respond. "Speaking of Rory, why don't you talk to her? Here she is" Lorelai said while thrusting the phone into Rory's hand.

Rory was a little shocked, but got up and went onto the back porch to continue the conversation.

"Dodged a bullet there." Lorelai said to Jess as he walked down the stairs and entered the living room. He gave a confused look and she explained. "My mother, Emily Gilmore, called to yell at me for not telling her about my trip out here. Fortunately for me, Rory was here, so she's now talking to Emily."

"She'll probably be out there a while then. I'm going to start breakfast. Danny and Drew are awake so it won't be long before breakfast is requested." He joked.

Lorelai followed him into the kitchen. "Hey, I just realized something. You're related to Emily Gilmore now!"

"Does this mean I need to attend society functions and Friday night dinners?" He deadpanned.

"Probably. I'm sure you'll get suckered into attending something when you come to visit."

"I'll worry about that bridge when I come to it." Jess said while getting preparing breakfast. He pulled out granola, yogurt, fruit, and begun to pour eight glasses of orange juice.

"Well, haven't you become quite the health nut. Granola and fruit?" Lorelai questioned.

"Hey, we don't all have iron stomachs like you. Plus, I have five growing kids. I can't feed them crap all the time." Jess said in defense of his choice of breakfast.

"Luke would be proud." Lorelai smiled and helped Jess finish setting the table.

"What time is your flight tonight?" He asked changing the subject.

"Well, my plain leaves at seven, but I don't know if I should go. I mean, don't you need help here?"

"Rory and I actually discussed it and we think you should fly home as scheduled. We're fine right now and there really isn't anything you can do at this point. We'll call you tomorrow night after we find out Rory's treatment options. I think it would be really great if you could spend some time out here while Rory's going through whatever treatment she needs. I would really appreciate the help." Jess explained.

"Sounds like a good plan. I'll be here for whatever you need, as long as you need. I haven't discussed it with Luke yet, but I'm sure he'll be supportive and try to do whatever he can to help. Maybe he and the boys could come to. I might be able to get him to spend part of the summer out here. The boys are out of school at the end of the month."

"Yeah, talk to Luke about it and we'll work something out. I'd love to meet Jack and Will. They sound like pretty cool guys." Jess remarked.

"They really are. I'm sure they want to meet Janie, Drew, Alex, Danny, and Nick too. Is it going to be weird that they have two uncles who are their age?" Lorelai questioned.

"Maybe at first, but they're familiar with the concept. There is a little boy in Alex's class who has an uncle in Janie's class, so it's nothing they haven't heard before. Knowing them, it'll be an never ending source of jokes and teasing." He noted.

Just then Drew entered the kitchen and sat at the table. "What 'cha talking about?" He asked.

"You're uncles, Jack and Will." Jess said. "Here, have some Orange Juice." He said while putting the glass down in front of Drew.

"Thanks Dad. Oh, strawberries! It's been forever since we had strawberries for breakfast!" Drew exclaimed while grabbing the bowl.

"Hey, leave some for the rest of us." Jess cautioned the boy.

"Are you sure he's my grandson?" Lorelai joked. "How could a Gilmore get excited about strawberries?"

"Guess the Mariano genes beat out the Gilmore genes." Jess smiled proudly while Lorelai pouted. Drew laughed at their antics and continued to eat the berries.

Just then Janie wandered into the kitchen and greeted everyone. "Hey. What's for breakfast?"

"The usual. Orange Juice ok or would you rather have milk?" Jess asked her.

"OJ is sounds good." She responded while sitting at the table.

"Do you guys want to go on a short trip today?" Jess asked before explaining more. "I was thinking we could all go up to The Getty museum. I know we've been there a couple times before, but they have lots of cool art. The kids area is pretty cool and interactive."

"Yeah, they do have cool stuff there. We all had fun last time." Janie added.

"So, you two are on board then?" Drew and Janie nodded and Lorelai added "I'm in too. Sounds like a cool place."

"Ok, well, I'll go see what's keeping your brothers. Eat up." Jess added while quickly going upstairs.

As the family was finishing breakfast, Rory opened the screen door and entered the house. She sighed and put the phone down on the counter. Jess got up from the table and went over to her. "How'd it go?"

"As good as could be expected. We had a very long talk about everything. Grandpa and Grandma really want to come for a visit soon. They're really excited to meet their great-grandchildren. They actually sounded downright giddy as I told them about our family." She smiled at Jess. She leaned closer and said "I told them everything. They want to help with whatever they can. I told them we're good for now, but will keep them updated." Jess nodded knowing they'd discuss the issue further when they were alone.

"We're planning to go to The Getty museum today. Want to join us?" He asked.

"Of course, I'm in. I love that place!"

"Good, well grab some breakfast and we'll go."

After spending the morning and early afternoon at the museum, the group migrated back home. Lorelai packed her things and said goodbye to all the kids. After loading her bags into the back of Rory's car, Jess said goodbye as well. Rory and Lorelai drove to the airport in silence. They said goodbye at the ticket counter and Rory promised to call Lorelai the next night after her appointment. They hugged again before going their separate ways. As Rory drove home, she began to think about her appointment for the next day. She sighed and tried not to over analyze anything until she knew the full scenario. Rory resolved to pull a Scarlet, as her mother would say, and think about it tomorrow. "After all, tomorrow is another day" Rory thought dramatically as she drove home.

**A/N: Ok readers, I need your help. I'm not sure how much of Rory's journey through her treatment and recovery you want to see. Would you rather I summarize what happens and focus on Rory's family helping her through the recovery process (which is the way I'm leaning)? Please let me know what you think. Send me a private message or review. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

Jess wrapped his arm around Rory's waist as they exited the doctor's office and walked across the parking lot. Neither said a word as Jess drove them home. Rory absentmindedly thumbed through the information Dr. Benson had given her. Instead of driving directly home, Jess stopped the car near the beach. He got out, walked around the car, and opened the door for Rory. She looked up from the paperwork and noticed they were at the beach. She got out of the car and put the paperwork on the seat. Jess shut the door and grabbed her hand as they walked toward the beach. After a short walk in silence they sat down on the sand. Rory crossed her arms over her knees and leaned against Jess.

"Shit." He said while breathing out heavily.

"Yeah" Rory responded. "I'm scared Jess."

"I know. I'm scared too." He responded while pulling her closer to him. "We're going to get through this together Rory. I'm going to do everything I can. Our families are going to help too. You've got a lot of people who love you and are going to support you through this." Jess finished while rubbing her back.

"I know and I'm so grateful for all the support, but this isn't going to be easy. I think I'm going to ask my mom to spend the summer out here. Jess, you're an amazing father, but I don't want you to be overwhelmed. It's a lot; the kids, the bookstore, me. You know?"

"If that's what you want, then I'm all for it. I'm sure we can get Jimmy, Sasha, and Lilly to help out too. We'll get everything done. Don't worry about all that. You just focus on getting better." He said and then gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Ok. So, Dr. Benson gave us several options. I think I want to follow her advice and go the aggressive route."

"I agree. It sounds like we'll get the best results that way."

"She also said we should schedule surgery sooner rather than later. I'll see how soon my mom can come out and then schedule it right away." Rory reached in her purse and pulled her cell phone out. "Do we have enough time to call her now or should we get back?"

"Lilly and Sasha said to take our time, so I think a call to Lorelai is fine. Do you want to be by yourself or can I stay?" He asked.

"Stay. You're part of this too."

Rory dialed her mother's cell phone number and waited for her to answer.

"Rory, how did it go? What did the doctor have to say?" Lorelai spat out.

"Hi mom. It went better than I expected, but it still sucked. Do you have time to discuss it right now or should I call back later?"

"I have time. I cleared my schedule and took the afternoon off so I could talk to you." She answered. "How bad is it?"

"Well, Dr. Benson said it's serious, but not anything beyond treatment. She suggested several options, but I think we're going to take an aggressive route." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm going to have a hysterectomy and a round of chemotherapy."

Lorelai took a minute to digest the information before offering her support. "When should I come out? I discussed it with Luke and he said I should spend as much time out there as you needed. He'll take care of the boys and I can do most of my work at the Inn over the phone and internet. When should I come Rory?"

"I still need to schedule the surgery, but Dr. Benson wants to do it right away. She suggested early next week. Jess and I still need to see if that will work, but it should. Is that ok for you?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, it's soon, but I should be able to get everything settled by then. Let's plan for me to fly out on Saturday." Lorelai quickly began to think of all the things she needed to do in a short amount of time.

"Ok. Thanks so much Mom. I really appreciate your support. Jess and I need to talk to the kids tonight, but I'll call you in the morning to finalize everything."

"Sounds good. Good luck with the kids. Call me tomorrow. I love you, Rory."

"Love you too, Mom." Rory said as she hung up and looked at Jess. Her face fell as she realized what they had to do next. "We have to go home and tell the kids. I really hate how this is going to affect them. They're so young. They shouldn't have to watch their mom get sick. This really sucks."

Jess pulled her into a tight hug and tried to calm her fears. "It really does suck, Rory. There's nothing that can change that. The kids' lives are going to be different, but it will be ok. You're mom's going to be here and I'll be here. We're all going to get through this together." They hugged for a while longer before pulling apart and turning for the car. "I guess we better go break the news." Jess sighed and helped Rory into the car before heading home.

Later that night, Rory stood in front of the mirror in the master bedroom. She sighed and began to wash her face. Jess soon came in and began to get ready for bed. After Rory had finished, she quickly changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Jess soon climbed into bed next to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close before giving her a quick kiss. "I love you, Goodnight." He said quietly.

"Love you too." She responded.

Just then the bedroom door opened slowly and a shadowy figure stepped inside. Jess looked up as Janie came closer to the bed.

"Can I sleep in here tonight?" She questioned.

"Of course you can sweetie." Rory responded

Janie quickly moved to Rory's side of the bed, slipped into the covers and snuggled up next to Rory. Within the next couple minutes, all five kids had made their way to Rory and Jess' bed and were fast asleep snuggled up against Rory. Normally, they would have insisted that each child sleep in their own bed, but tonight was an exception. The news of Rory's illness had really scared them, especially Janie. She was old enough to understand it better than the boys. She knew how serious it was and that it might not have a good outcome. After a long discussion, everyone had gone upstairs to their respective bedrooms for the night. However, everyone had migrated back to be as close as possible to their mother.

Jess clung to the edge of the bed to keep from falling out. He loved having the kids close, but they were going to need a bigger bed if this continued, he thought. He carefully rolled onto his side and looked at his family. He smiled and closed his eyes before finally falling asleep.

_Saturday afternoon…_

True to her word, Lorelai arrived at the Mariano house late Saturday afternoon. As the cab driver helped her unload her bags, Jess came out of the house.

"Hey. You should have called. I would've picked you up from the airport." He asked.

"Hey Jess. I didn't want to trouble you. This was just as easy." She said while giving him a quick hug.

Jess quickly paid the cab driver and helped Lorelai carry her bags into the house.

"Grammy!" Nick exclaimed while running to give her a hug.

"Hey buddy." She said while hugging him.

"I'm going to tell everyone you're here." He said while excitedly running up the stairs.

Lorelai smiled while saying to Jess "I never get tired of being called Grammy."

Jess smirked and remembered something. "Oh, some boxes arrived yesterday for you. There are three large FedEx boxes and two small ones in the guest room. You ship your whole closet here or something?"

"No, there'd be a lot more boxes if I'd sent the whole closet." She joked. "One is clothes and the other two large ones filled with stuff for you, Rory, and the kids. The two smaller ones are care packages for Rory. One's from everyone in Stars Hallow and the other is from Sookie." Lorelai went into the guest bedroom and removed the two small boxes. She took them into the kitchen and grabbed a knife and opened them up.

Jess followed her and looked at the contents of the box. Sookie's box was filled with cookies and a letter to Rory. He quickly took one of the cookies and ate it. "Dang that's good." He said while reaching for another.

"Hey, save some for the rest of us." Lorelai said while swatting his hand away.

Rory entered the kitchen and moved to give Lorelai a hug. "Hi Mom! We didn't expect you until later. Good to see you." She said.

The kids quickly came into the kitchen and greeted their grandmother. Rory quickly noticed the box of cookies from Sookie and passed them out to everyone. She picked up the letter and tucked it away to read later. Noticing a second box on the counter, Rory grabbed it and began to dig through its contents. She quickly noticed it contained letter and notes of encouragement from nearly every resident of Stars Hallow. "Wow. This was really nice of everyone."

"Yeah, once word got out, Babette and Miss Patty started a letter/note writing campaign. They just wanted to show their support." Lorelai explained.

Just then the backdoor flew open and a woman about Lorelai's age entered carrying several grocery bags. "Hey! Who's ready for a barbeque!" She shouted while setting the bags on the counter.

"Hey Sasha. We weren't expecting you, Jimmy, and Lilly for a while." Jess said.

"Oh, I just wanted to bring this stuff over and see if you needed any help cooking." She said and then noticed Lorelai standing near Rory. "Hey, I'm Sasha" She said energetically while extending her hand to Lorelai.

"Hi, I'm Lorelai, Rory's mom." She explained and shook Sasha's hand.

"Oh, you're the famous Lorelai. Nice to finally meet you. Rory's told me a lot about you."

"Sasha is Jimmy, my dad's, wife." Jess explained while taking food out of the bags. "She has a daughter, Lilly, who's twenty-three. She goes to UCLA, but spends the weekends out here. You'll meet her, and Jimmy, at dinner tonight." Lorelai nodded and began to help Jess unload the bags.

Sasha looked through the kitchen and concluded all the dinner ingredients were there. "Ok, well I'll head back to my place since everything's here now. Jimmy's bringing the hot dogs and burgers after he gets off work. See you around five." She said while stepping out the backdoor and walking away.

Around five everyone gathered in the backyard while Jimmy and Jess fired up the grill. After the introductions had been made, Lilly, Lorelai, and the kids started playing various games around the yard. Sasha and Rory made the final preparations to the food as Jimmy and Jess finished the burgers and hot dogs.

The group spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company and not discussing Rory's health. After the sun went down, Jimmy, Sasha, and Lilly headed back to their house while Jess and Rory tucked the kids into their beds. They then said goodnight to Lorelai and headed to bed. Rory kissed Jess goodnight before turning to go downstairs. "I'm going to sit on the porch for a while. Go ahead and get some rest. I'll be back in a while." She said while Jess nodded in understanding.

Rory went into the office she and Jess shared. She grabbed a journal and pen before walking down the stairs and onto the back porch. She curled up with a blanket and began to write.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for your reviews and feedback. Please continue to share any ideas/thoughts for this story with me. I value your input.**

Early Monday morning, Jess leaned over Rory as she lay in a hospital bed before surgery. As he looked into her beautiful blue eyes, he saw fear, but also determination and bravery. He kissed her and cupped her cheek with his hand. "I love you Rory. I'll be here when you wake up." He said before giving her another kiss.

"I love you too Jess." She said before a nurse entered the room and interrupted the couple.

"Ok, Lorelai Mariano. It's time to get you down to surgery. Ready to go?" She said with a little too much cheer in her voice for Jess' taste.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's get this over with." Rory sighed and took one last look at Jess as he stepped away and the nurse wheeled her out.

"I love you." He called out as she was wheeled down the hall. Another nurse came by and escorted him to the surgery waiting room. He sat for a while, but quickly realized he wasn't going to be able to sit still while Rory was in surgery. He got up and began to pace the halls. He took out his cell phone and texted Lorelai to let her know Rory had gone into surgery. She responded with a simple "keep me updated."

Jess spent the next several hours pacing and waiting for news from the doctors. Finally, after Jess thought he was going to go insane from worry, a doctor came into the waiting room and called out, "Mr. Mariano?" Jess leapt out of his chair and said "Yes, that's me. How's my wife?"

"Mr. Mariano, I'm Dr. Keller, one of the surgeons who's operating on your wife." Jess nodded while the doctor continued, "The procedure started out well, but halfway through there were some complications." Jess' face went white and he began to feel dizzy. The doctor noticed and sat him down in a nearby chair. "The cancer was worse than we initially thought. We removed as much as we could, but your wife began to experience excessive bleeding." Jess started to breathe heavily and couldn't believe what he was hearing as the doctor continued to explain, "We finished the hysterectomy, but are in the process of trying to stop the bleeding. We're giving her blood transfusions and medicine to try and clot her blood. We're also checking for any loose arteries and other issues before we close." The doctor looked Jess in the eyes before finishing. "Sir, I need to ask you something important. Does your wife have any sort of living will or do not resuscitate orders?"

Jess was stunned. This was supposed to be a routine procedure. He looked at the doctor before answering. "Yeah, uh, she doesn't want to be put on machines. That's really all we discussed. I think she'd want you to do everything you could though."

"Ok, thank you Mr. Mariano. Believe me; we're going to do everything in our power. I've got to get back in there, but I'll keep you updated on her condition when it changes." With that he got up and quickly walked down the hall to the operating room.

Jess swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to process what the doctor had just told him. He began to shake and his eyes filled with tears as he realized he could actually loose Rory. He lowered his head into his hands and began to tremble. A few minutes later, he was startled out of his state of terror by the buzzing of his cell phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and sighed as he saw it was Lorelai calling him. He answered with a shaky "Hello".

"Jess, it's been a while. How's it going? Is she out of surgery yet?" Lorelai quickly questioned.

"I just spoke with one of the surgeons. There have been some complications. It's not going so well, Lorelai." Jess finished and wiped his eyes while trying to hold it together.

"What, wait, what's going on Jess? What are you talking about?" Lorelai began to panic.

"I don't know a whole lot. There are some bleeding issues according to the doctor. They're trying to stop it right now, but they say it isn't going very well."

"Shit." Lorelai said while closing her eyes tightly. "Jess, I'm coming to the hospital. You shouldn't be there alone right now."

"What about the kids. You can't just leave them there."

"I'm going to call Sasha and get her or Jimmy over here before I go. I'll see you in a few minutes." With that Lorelai hung up the phone and called Sasha who rushed over to watch the kids. Lorelai quickly made her way to the hospital and the surgery floor. She found Jess sitting in a chair, head in hands, not making a sound.

"Jess" She said while putting her arm around his shoulders. He jumped slightly at her touch and then looked over at her. Lorelai noticed the tears streaming down his face and bit her lip before asking, "Have they given you anymore information?"

Jess didn't say anything but shook his head to indicate he hadn't. The pair sat quietly for a while before the same surgeon from earlier came up to Jess. He sat in the chair next to him before speaking.

"Mr. Mariano, I've got an update for you." He noticed Lorelai and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Dr. Keller, Mrs. Mariano's surgeon."

"Lorelai Danes, her mother." She simply stated.

The doctor nodded and explained the situation. "Well, we were able to stop the bleeding. However, she lost a significant amount of blood and will need to be monitored closely over the next several hours and days. We're giving her more blood right now along with fluids. Unfortunately, we had to put her on a ventilator during the surgery when she stopped breathing on her own. She should be able to come off the ventilator in a couple of hours, depending on how things go. We're wrapping things up now, but you should be able to see her soon. Mrs. Mariano's going to be moved from surgery to the intensive care unit for further observation. You can go wait for her there. Do either of you have any questions?"

Both Jess and Lorelai exhaled deeply and looked at the doctor with relief. "I don't think so Dr. Keller. Thank you so much for everything you did for my wife. I really really appreciate it." Jess said while shaking the doctor's hand.

"You're welcome Mr. Mariano. You're wife's a fighter, and extremely lucky." Dr. Keller responded and then left the waiting area.

Jess slumped back in the chair and closed his eyes. "Thank God." He said out loud.

"You can say that again." Lorelai said while getting up from her chair. "Come on, let's go up to the ICU and wait for Rory."

Jess got up and followed her. On the way up, Lorelai stopped at a coffee machine and got them each a cup of coffee. "Here" She said as she thrust the cup into his hand. "Drink it. You look like hell."

"I feel like hell." He responded while sipping the hot coffee. "gah, that tastes like crap." He looked into the coffee before taking a deep breath. "I almost lost her, Lorelai." He looked up to meet her eyes. "I've never been so scared in my whole life."

"I know." Lorelai said and gave him a short hug. "But, we didn't lose her Jess. We're going to see her in a little while and everything will be ok. I promise."

"You can't promise that." He stated.

"Eh, you're right, but I can't dwell on what almost happened. I know you're really shaken up, but she's going to be ok. You have to believe that, Jess." Lorelai said in an attempt to encourage him.

Jess exhaled and said "You're right. We've got to focus on recovery now." He took another sip of the coffee, scrunched up his face in disgust and began walking toward the ICU reception desk. He saw a group of nurses and approached them.

"I'm looking for Lorelai Mariano. The surgeon said she was being brought up here. I'm her husband."

One of the nurses looked through the stack of charts she was holding before responding. "Yes, Mrs. Mariano was just brought up. Why don't you take a seat over in the waiting area and I'll go see if she's ready to see you." She said while walking down the hall towards the ICU doors.

Jess and Lorelai sat in a nearby group of chairs and waited. After several minutes, the nurse came back out and walked over to Jess. "Mr. Mariano, you can see your wife now. I'm sorry, but just one visitor at a time." She said after noticing Lorelai.

"Go ahead Jess. I'll wait right here. Take your time." She said. Jess nodded in responses and followed the nurse to the ICU doors.

"Here, you'll need to wear this gown over your clothes while you're in there." The nurse said while handing Jess the robe. He quickly put it on and the nurse tied up the back before escorting him through the doors and to Rory's bed. She pulled a stool close to the bed and left Jess alone with Rory.

Jess looked at her and quickly grabbed her hand. She barely looked like his wife with all the machines and tubes hooked up to her. He leaned over and carefully gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you Rory" He whispered. Jess sat there in silence, staring at Rory as the machines beeped in the background. The nurse eventually came back and asked if he wanted to let Lorelai take a turn. He gave Rory another kiss on the cheek before leaving and allowing Lorelai into the ICU. She came out a while later and looked at Jess.

"I hate seeing her like that Jess. It's awful."

"Yeah, I don't like it either, but the doctors seem to think she'll be out of the ICU after she wakes up. Hopefully that will be soon." Jess offered. "Until then, I'm going to sit in there with her. I don't want her to wake up alone."

"Ok, you should be in there. I guess I'll go back to the house. The nurses seem pretty strict about the one at a time thing. Give me a call if anything changes." Lorelai gave him a hug and made her way back to the Mariano house.

Jess put on a new gown and reentered the ICU. He resumed his spot on the stool next to Rory. He sat there and held her hand while he waited for her to wake up.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

The machines beeped quietly in the background as Jess sat at Rory's bedside, holding her hand. He rested his bowed head on his free arm. It seemed like he had been there days, but it had only been hours. Suddenly, Jess felt Rory's hand move. His head snapped up and he whispered "Rory? Rory, it's me, I'm here. Wake up babe." He stood up and put his hand on her forehead. He brushed her hair back away from her forehead while continuing to whisper into her ear. He felt her squeeze his hand again before her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Hey there." He said while smiling down at her. She attempted to talk, but the breathing tube made it impossible. "Shh. Don't try to talk just yet. It's ok, I'll call the nurse." He pressed the call button on the wall and a nurse quickly came over.

"She's waking up." Jess said as the nurse rushed over to check on Rory. She went and got a doctor who can and quickly examined her. Several minutes later, the breathing tube was removed and the doctor and nurses had left. Rory looked at Jess and attempted to speak, but her throat was still sore from the tube. "Shh. It's ok Rory. You don't have to say anything. You're going to be ok." He assured her.

A few minutes later, Rory was able to speak in a whisper. "Jess" She whispered while he listened intently. "What happened? Why do you look so scared? Did everything go with the surgery?"

"It was rough, but you're going to be ok. There were some bleeding issues and the cancer was worse than they initially thought. The surgeon said it looks like they got it all." He paused before continuing, "It scared the hell out of me Rory. I almost lost you." Neither said anything but continued to look at each other until Jess leaned down and kissed her. "I love you Rory."

"I love you too." She said before a nurse interrupted them.

"Ok Mrs. Mariano, now that you're awake and off the ventilator, we need to move you to a recovery room." The nurse got Rory ready to move and another nurse came in and helped her push the bed out of the ICU. Jess followed as they wheeled Rory into the elevator and down several floors. They pushed the bed into an empty room and got her all settled in. Jess pulled up a chair up next to her bed. He sat down and waited a minute before saying "So, this is fun. Any idea what we do now?"

Rory looked at him and shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe I can go home soon. I'm already sick of this, it's boring."

"As much as I want to take you home, I think you have to stay overnight at least." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll see if your mom can bring some stuff from home when she comes to visit. That should make it a little better."

"Thank you." Rory said and yawned. "I think I'm going to close my eyes for a minute."

"Ok, go ahead. I'll be here when you wake up." Jess assured her as she fell asleep. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He checked to see that Rory was asleep and then quietly left the room. He dialed Lorelai's cell and waited for her to answer.

"Jess. How is she?" Lorelai answered and quickly asked.

"Better. She's awake. They removed the breathing tube and moved her from the ICU to a regular room."

"That's good to hear. Can I come by and see her?" Lorelai questioned.

"Sure. She's still pretty tired after the surgery, but I think she may be up for a quick visit. Do you mind bringing a few things from home for Rory?"

"Absolutely, just give me a list and I'll bring everything." Lorelai realized something and then asked Jess, "oh, I'm supposed to ask you something. Janie said she wants to see Rory. Is it ok if I bring her with me?"

"I think that should be ok. I know Rory didn't really want the kids to see her in the hospital, but she looks pretty good now. I know Janie's pretty freaked out about all this, so maybe it would be good for her to see that everything is ok." Jess thought aloud. "Go ahead and bring her."

"Ok, we'll be there in a little while." She said before hanging up.

Later that night Lorelai and Janie walked down the hall toward Rory's room. Janie carried a small box of things she thought her mother would like from home. When they reached the room, the door was slightly ajar and Lorelai peaked her head in. "Jess" She said quietly.

He got up and quickly went to the door. "Hey." He said and gave Janie a big hug. "She's still sleeping from her nap, but you can go in and sit with her." He offered before taking the box from Janie. "Thanks for bringing this stuff kiddo. I'm sure your mom will appreciate it." He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder as they entered the room. Lorelai moved another two chairs over to the bed and sat opposite of where Jess had been earlier. Jess set the box down on the floor and motioned for Janie to take his seat. "I'm going to grab some coffee real quick. Lorelai, you want some too?"

"Yes please" She said as he exited the room. Lorelai looked at Rory while reaching for her hand. Janie went to do the same, but hesitated.

"It's ok. You're not going to hurt her." Her grandmother encouraged. Janie nodded and squeezed Rory's hand.

After the two had been sitting in silence for several minutes, Rory began to stir. Lorelai and Janie leaned forward as she opened her eyes. They smiled at her and Lorelai said "Hey you."

"Mom, Janie; you're here. It's so good to see you both." She looked around the room before saying "Where did Jess go?"

"He went to get some coffee." Janie answered.

"I hope he's bringing me some. It's been forever since I've had coffee." Rory whined.

"I'm not sure if you're allowed to have coffee right now hun, but I'll go check with a nurse." Lorelai said while getting up and exiting the room.

Janie looked at her mom before leaning over her bed and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you're ok mom."

"Me too sweetie." Rory responded.

"I brought some stuff from home for you." Janie said while retrieving the box from the floor.

Rory curiously looked into the box while Janie began to pull items out. First, she pulled out a family photo and placed it on the table next to her mother's bed. A few decorative pillows and small potted plants were removed from the box and placed around the room. Janie pulled out a simple lightweight charcoal colored robe and handed it to Rory. "I thought this might be more comfortable than whatever they gave you here. I also brought a t-shirt and pajama pants so you'd have some comfy clothes to relax in." Rory smiled at her daughter's thoughtfulness. "Oh, and one last thing." She said while pulling out a worn paperback novel. "Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen."

"Excellent. One of my favorites." Rory put her arm on her daughter's wrist and prompted her to sit again. "Why don't you read me the first chapter?" Rory said.

"Ok." She said and opened the book to the first page. " 'It is a truth universally acknowledged…'" Janie began to read as Rory looked up at her with sleep in her eyes. She yawned slightly and fought to stay awake as Janie thoughtfully read aloud.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a month as Rory slowly recovered from surgery and began chemotherapy. Her family had been very supportive through everything. Jess went with her to every doctor's appointment and kept telling her it would all be alright in the end. Rory knew he was saying it to himself as much as to her. He'd completely taken over running things around the house too. All throughout their marriage, Rory never felt like she was solely responsible for the kids and house; Jess had always insisted it was all shared responsibility, which it was. Jess had done a great job of keeping the kids occupied with activities, since they were out of school for the summer, and had hired an extra employee to keep the bookstore well staffed during his absence. He still made sure things ran smoothly, but had given up working his normal schedule. Lorelai had also been a major help to the entire family. True to her word, she'd done everything she could to help Rory and the family. She even learned to cook some of the family's favorite meals, which her husband, Luke refused to believe until he saw it with his own eyes.

As the summer rolled into July, Rory finished her chemotherapy treatments, and began to recover from the ordeal her body had been through. As the treatments fought to rid her body of the cancer, it left her weak and fragile. She lacked energy and an appetite, which led to a significant weight loss for her already slender form. She never completely lost her hair, but it had thinned out considerably. The thing Rory hated the most was not being able to devote herself completely to her children. She was just so tired that going downstairs was a struggle most days. Janie had arranged the patio furniture on the back porch so Rory could spend most of her time out there, breathing in fresh air, rather than laying in bed in a stuffy room. Rory enjoyed being out there and was able to watch the kids in the backyard as they played. She also managed to get the kids to read to her each day. She told them it made her feel better, which it did, but mostly it was to keep them reading and learning throughout the summer. She enjoyed spending time with each child as they snuggled up next to her and read for a half hour or so each day.

Rory's health had considerably improved by mid July and a special visit had been arranged. Luke, Jack, and Will were going to visit for a couple of weeks. Emily and Richard would be visiting also, but were arriving a week after Luke and the boys.

Jess and Lorelai prepared the house for their arrival; Luke and Lorelai would share the guest bedroom while the boys shared rooms with the Mariano boys. Jack would stay with Drew and Alex while Will bunked with Danny and Nick. Richard and Emily had insisted on staying in a nearby hotel; they didn't want to impose.

The morning of Luke and the boys' arrival, Jess woke up early and went down to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. He started the coffee pot and then decided to pull out the French press. He prepared the device and started brewing the coffee. He pulled a tray out of a cabinet and prepared breakfast for Rory. After he was satisfied with the arrangement, he set the French press on the tray and took it up to his and Rory's bedroom. He slowly opened the door and noticed she was awake.

"Hey, I brought you some breakfast." He said while setting the tray down on the nightstand. He poured her a cup of the freshly brewed coffee and handed it to her.

"Special coffee. What's the occasion mister?" She said with a gleam in her eye.

"Nothing really. I just thought you could use a little special treatment today. We're being invaded in a little while." He joked. "Are you sure you're up for all this?"

"I think so. I'm nowhere near 100% yet, but I can handle sitting and visiting. Don't expect any long walks on the beach though."

"Ok, just let me know if you need a break from everyone." He looked over at the clock and looked back at Rory. "I should get downstairs and start breakfast. Lorelai said last night that she wanted to come to the airport with me. Do you think you can be here by yourself for a while?"

"I should be fine. You're just a phone call away. Plus, Janie can help keep an eye on her brothers." Rory assured him.

"I'm going to call Sasha just in case. She or Lilly should be able to rush over if you need anything."

"Ok, thank you Mr. overprotective, but we'll be ok." She smiled and started to eat her breakfast as Jess left the room.

Later that morning, Jess and Lorelai waited for Luke and the boys in the baggage claim area of the airport. Jess felt a bit of déjà vu as nervousness crept over him. Before he had a chance to think it over more, Lorelai spotted Luke and rushed toward him. They embraced tightly before Lorelai pulled back and looked down at the boys. She smiled and reached to hug them both. After the family had said their hellos, Lorelai turned to look for Jess. She called him over toward them.

"Jess, it's really good to see you." Luke smiled and gave him a big hug.

"Good to see you too, Uncle Luke." Jess said before realizing something. "I guess Uncle really isn't correct anymore. It's more like step-father in-law?" Jess asked in confusion. "Wait, what does that make Rory and I? Cousins?" He scrunched up his face.

"Let's not worry about that. You two were married first, so I think that negates all weird relational aspects." Luke offered as a solution. Jess nodded in response while Lorelai pulled Jack and Will forward toward Jess.

"Jess, this is Jack and this is Will" She said pointing to each boy respectively.

"Hey. Nice to meet you boys. I've heard a lot about you from your mom." Jess smirked as how much they looked like Luke, but had Lorelai's eyes. "You know, since your Rory's brothers, you're my brothers-in-law. I never had any brothers or sisters growing up, so maybe we can be more like brothers and drop the whole in-law stuff. What do you think?" He offered.

"Sounds good." Jack responded for both of them.

"Dad told us that you and Rory have kids. That makes us Uncles." Will explained. "It's kind of weird that I'm six years old and Jack's eight and we're Uncles."

"Well, it's not very traditional, but I don't' think this family's ever been too traditional, so it's not too weird." He patted Will on the shoulder as they moved to collect their bags.

About an hour later, they arrived at the Mariano house. Jess and Luke unloaded the bags and carried them into the house while Lorelai called the kids and Rory downstairs.

Lorelai surveyed the group of children before making the introductions. "Jack, Will, these are your nephews and niece; Drew, Alex, Danny, Nick, and Janie. Drew, Alex, Danny, Nick, and Janie, this is Will and Jack; your uncles." They all looked at each other while Luke came over and looked at Jess and Rory's kids. He smiled before Jess walked over and introduced him.

"This is your Grandpa Luke." He said while patting Luke on the back. Luke hadn't been expecting to be referred to as Grandpa, so it caught him a little off guard. "Luke, these are your grandkids; Janie, Drew, Alex, Danny, and Nick. Why don't you all go into the backyard for a while and play a game?" They all liked the idea and went outside to play.

Luke patted Jess on the back before complimenting him. "Jess, you've really got some great kids there. I'm proud of you. You've done so much with your life." Jess just nodded in response as Luke finished. "Thanks for the Grandpa thing. I wasn't expecting that, but I have to admit it sounds pretty good."

"Well, you deserve it. You did a lot for me back in Stars Hallow. I don't think I ever told you, but I really appreciate it. Thanks."

Rory made her way down the stairs as Jess finished his sentence. Luke quickly walked over to her and gave her a big hug, but relaxed a little after realizing how thin she had become.

"Rory, it's good to see you. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing much better. It's really good to see you too Luke. It's been far too long." Rory surveyed the room before asking, "What did you do with my little brothers? They cause a bunch of trouble and have to be sent back to Stars Hallow?"

"They're outside with your kids. I'll get them." Luke offered.

A moment later, Luke returned with two little boys in tow. "Jack, Will, this is your sister, Rory." The boys were a little shy at first. They knew she had been sick, so they weren't quite sure how to approach her.

"Hi guys. Can I have a hug?" She asked. They nodded and quickly embraced her.

Alex came through the door and asked, "Can Jack and Will come back outside?" Rory nodded and the three boys went back to the game they were playing.

Rory walked over and gave Lorelai a small hug. "They're beautiful Mom. I'm so happy for you and Luke."

"Thanks hun."

"So, Luke, how about a tour of the house?" Jess offered.

"Sure, let's check it out." He responded as they went upstairs.

Later that day, Jess, Rory, Luke, Lorelai, and all the kids wandered down to the beach. The boys, including Jess and Luke, were busy building sand castles while Lorelai, Rory, and Janie sat on a blanket.

"I never knew Luke was so good at building sandcastles." Rory remarked.

"Well, you know boys and building things. It's like second nature to them." Lorelai said and grabbed her camera to snap a few more pictures of the group. "Janie, don't you ever get sick of all those boys?" Lorelai joked.

"Sometimes." She joked back.

The week went by quickly as the families spent time together. Jess and Luke had worked out a plan to update the apartment above the garage. It was in fairly good shape, but wasn't remodeled with the rest of the house. So, Luke and Jess spent a few days painting, putting in new carpet, and generally cleaning the place up. Jimmy even came over and helped them out. He and Luke were able to work out their difference and were even becoming friends by the time their project was complete.

Late Saturday afternoon, Jess and Luke went to the airport to pick up Emily and Richard. As they waited for them, Jess looked over at Luke. "Do you think there's any way I can get them to like me?"

Luke laughed before offering some advice. "Well, they like me now, so it's not impossible. They've really lightened up since the last time you saw them." Luke rubbed his neck and hesitated before letting the truth out. "Actually, when Rory left, it tore them apart. They were pretty shaken up. They realized that they could lose Lorelai again if they weren't careful. So, they made every effort to be close to Lorelai and me. They love Jack and Will and spend quite a bit of time with them. I'm sure they'll like you too Jess." Luke patted him on the back before finishing, "Plus, you and Rory gave them five great-grandchildren. I'm pretty sure they're over the moon about that." Luke smiled.

"Thanks Luke." Jess said and kept looking for the elder Gilmores in the crowded airport. Luke spotted them and Jess followed as they moved closer to them.

"Richard, Emily." Luke greeted them. "How was your flight? Not too bad?"

"Oh it was fine. The flight was overcrowded as usual, but that's why we always insist on flying first class. You can't get a decent amount of leg room any other way." Emily explained in a displeased manner.

"Emily, Richard, I'd like you to meet Jess Mariano, Rory's husband." Luke introduced Jess as he extended his hand toward Richard. Both Emily and Richard stiffened, but Richard accepted his hand and greeted Jess.

"It's nice to finally meet you Jess. I've heard a lot about you recently."

"It's nice to meet you too Sir. Mrs. Gilmore, I believe we've met before." Jess said while politely kissing her on the cheek.

"Yes, if I remember correctly, you had a black eye. You and Rory were also having some sort of argument, as I recall." She said while giving him the patented Emily Gilmore sideways glare.

"Not one of my finer moments." Jess admitted. "I was kind of a going through a rebellious teenager phase then. I'm much better now." He joked uneasily.

Luke sensed where the conversation was going and quickly helped Jess out. "Jess' has really accomplished a lot for himself since then Emily. You'll see. Now, let's collect your luggage."

"Oh the steward is bringing it to the curb." Richard remarked. The group moved through the airport and picked up Richard and Emily's bags before getting in the car and driving to Venice Beach.

They arrived at the house a short time later. Jess and Luke removed Emily and Richards bags from the car and took them to the apartment above the garage. Jess had insisted they stay there rather than in a hotel to which Emily and Richard reluctantly agreed. While walking up to the house, Emily noticed Rory standing on the front porch waiting for them.

"Rory!" She exclaimed while Rory quickly walked toward her and embraced her in a tight hug. Emily pulled away slightly and put her hands on either side of Rory's face. She looked at how much her Granddaughter had changed, but at the same time, she saw the same girl she had always known. "You're a grown woman now. I've missed you so much, Rory."

"I missed you too Grandma." She said before pulling back from Emily and embracing Richard. "Grandpa, I missed you so much."

"I've missed you too Rory." He smiled at her as she loosened her grip and pulled back. She walked over to Jess and wrapped an arm around his waist. She put her free arm up against his chest and she said, "Well, I assume you met my husband, Jess. Want to meet the kids?"

"Oh yes. We've been looking forward to this for a while." Richard beamed.

"I've been bragging to all the ladies at the DAR." Emily said proudly. "No one else has five great-grandchildren."

"Well, let's go inside and track them down." Luke said while opening the front door.

Rory ushered Richard and Emily into the living room while Jess and Luke rounded up the kids. Jack and Will quickly ran into the living room and warmly greeted their grandparents. They left as quickly as they came and ran into the backyard.

"My, those two are always so full of energy." Emily observed.

Janie walked into the room and stood before Emily and Richard. "Hello" She said politely.

Richard and Emily both stared at the girl in awe. She looked so much like her mother and was much more mature than they had anticipated.

"Hello young lady." Emily said as she said while getting up to give the girl a short hug. "You look so much like you're mother, it's astonishing."

"Hello Janie." Richard said warmly while also giving her a quick hug. "I understand you enjoy reading. We'll have to discuss your favorite books sometime. I'd love to hear your perspective."

"Sure. I'd like that Papa." She said, but noticed Richard's eyes widen at her calling him that. "Uh, is it ok that I call you Papa? Mom always referred to you two as our Papa and Gran. Should we use Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma?"

"Oh, no Papa and Gran will be just fine. I just never really thought about being a Papa before." Richard explained. "I like it." He concluded.

"I like it also." Emily nodded. "Now, where are your little brothers?"

As if following her queue, the boys came bouncing into the room.

"Hey, settle down for a minute." Jess said and winked at them.

"Boys, this is your Papa and Gran." Rory said. "This is Drew, Alex, Danny, and Nick." She said while gesturing to each boy. The boys exchanged hugs with their great-grandparents while being asked a plethora of questions.

Eventually, Richard and Emily moved to the back porch to watch all the children play in the backyard. Rory sat with them while Jess brought out a pitcher of iced tea for everyone.

"Where are Lorelai and Luke?" Emily questioned.

"I don't know, but I'll go find them." Jess offered. He went back into the house and to the guest bedroom. He saw that the door was closed and knocked lightly before opening the door. "Geeze!" He exclaimed as he saw Luke and Lorelai kissing passionately. Jess' exclamation startled them and they quickly separated.

"A knock would have been good." An embarrassed Luke said.

"First of all, I did knock. Second, why are you making out when we have guests? Third, and finally, Emily requested your presence on the back porch." Jess scolded.

"Sorry Dad. Lukey and I got a little carried away. Please don't ground me." She said sarcastically while batting her eye lashed at him.

"You two are worse than teenagers. What am I going to do with you?"

"I seem to remember a certain couple who had a similar problem." Luke reminded him.

"True. Although, I think we still have that problem." Jess smirked at him.

"Ok, this is going to a place I don't want to go." Luke held up his hands. "Lorelai, shall we join everyone on the back porch?" He said while gesturing to the door.

"Let's shall." She said while taking his hand in hers and leading the way.

Jess crossed his arms and shook his head at their antics. He sighed and followed them.

**A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read! I need your help. I'm thinking of throwing another twist into this story or just working toward an ending soon. Would you rather I wrap this up or add a twist and keep going? **


	12. Chapter 12

Several days later, Jess, Luke, Richard, and the boys went to the beach for some quality male bonding time, as they called it. Emily, Lorelai, Rory, and Janie sat on the back porch enjoying the afternoon and each other's company.

"It's getting a little warm. Anyone care for some iced coffee?" Rory suggested.

"That sounds lovely, Rory." Emily responded.

"Yes please." Lorelai answered.

"Me too." Janie shouted after Rory as she entered the house.

"You're mother lets you have coffee?" Emily asked shocked that Rory would do such a thing.

"No, but it never hurts to ask." Janie beamed.

Rory stepped back onto the porch a minute later with drinks for everyone. As she passed them out, she gave Janie a glass and said, "Put lots of milk in it and don't you dare tell your father."

"Yay! You rock mom!" She said while taking the beverage and doing as instructed.

"Rory!" Emily scoffed. "She's only a child. How could you let her drink coffee? It'll stunt her growth."

"Relax Grandma. By the time you count the ice and milk, it's hardly more than three or four ounces of coffee. Besides, I've done some research and coffee doesn't necessarily stunt a person's growth. Look at mom and me. We've consumed quite a bit of coffee in our lifetimes and we're both fine." Rory said in an attempt to justify her decision. "Besides, it's a special treat. I'm allowed to spoil my own daughter every once in a while." Rory said as she brushed Janie's hair out of her face. "I'll be right back" Rory said as she got up and went back into the house.

Moments later she returned carrying what looked like five photo albums. She set them down on the table with a thud and then sat on the couch between Lorelai and Emily. She motioned for Janie to join them and sit on the other side of Lorelai.

"What's all this?" Emily asked.

"The kids' baby books. I thought it would be fun to go through them together since neither of you got to see the kids as babies." Rory informed them.

"That's a wonderful idea Rory!" Emily responded.

"Ok, let's start from the beginning." Rory pulled the album on top off the table and onto her lap while Lorelai snickered. "What?" Rory questioned her.

"Let's start from the very beginning, a very good place to start." Lorelai sang comically.

"Thank you, Sister Maria." Rory deadpanned. Emily just rolled her eyes.

Rory opened the pink cover of the album. Written in Rory's neat handwriting was the name "Lorelai Jane Gilmore Mariano".

"Lorelai?" Emily questioned looking at Rory and Janie. Rory nodded and Emily said, "I had no idea. That's wonderful Rory."

"Jess and I both wanted to carry on the tradition, but I really liked the name Jane, so we went with both."

"It's cool until the first day of school and the teacher is completely confused on what to call you." Janie piped in.

"Yeah, sorry about that kid, but it comes with the tradition. I had to deal with that too. Although we did add a layer of confusion by giving you the first name Lorelai, middle names Jane and Gilmore, and then proceed to call you Janie." Rory remarked. She turned the page to reveal several ultrasound pictures.

"Look, your first picture Janie." Rory said while pointing to it. Janie leaned over to look and smiled. Rory turned to the next page and smiled at pictures of a brand new baby Janie. In the center of the page was a picture of a very young Jess and Rory with the new baby. Rory looked at the picture and remembered how scared she had been in that moment. She was thrilled to have Janie, but she was more than a little overwhelmed with all the responsibility. Rory looked over at Lorelai who was wiping a tear from her eye and said, "Mom, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, it just makes me sad that I missed out on all this. I never got to hold any of my grandchildren when they were babies." She sadly stated.

"I know. I'm sorry it was like that." Rory said before turning to the next page in the book. It was a picture of Jess sleeping on the couch with Janie sleeping peacefully on his chest.

"You certainly were a beautiful baby." Emily complimented Janie as Rory continued to turn the pages of the book. Everyone admired the pictures and laughed at some of the sillier ones. Rory turned the last page of the album and said, "Well, that's it for Janie's baby pictures." She set the album down and grabbed the next one off the table. Turning to the first page, everyone looked to see "Andrew Richard Mariano" neatly written across the page.

"Richard?" Emily asked as her eyes moistened.

"Yeah, I love grandpa and thought it would be good to pass on the name." Rory explained.

"He'll be so thrilled." Emily said. "He was over the moon when Lorelai told us William's middle name was Richard." Emily said as she gave Lorelai and Rory appreciative smiles.

Rory turned through the pages as everyone looked on. One picture in particular made everyone laugh; it was a shot of Jess holding Drew, each displaying the patented Mariano smirk.

"All he needs is the leather jacket." Lorelai snickered.

"Oh, just wait." Rory said as she turned the page to reveal a very small Drew clad in a leather jacket exactly like his father.

"Oh my gosh!" Lorelai said while laughing hysterically.

After several more pages of laughing and admiring baby Drew, Rory closed the book at set it on the coffee table. She yawned and sighed realizing how much energy she still lacked.

"Mom, why don't you take a nap? We can go through the rest of the books later." Janie offered as she noticed how tired Rory looked.

"That actually sounds really good. I'm still not up to full speed yet." Rory yawned again as she got up and went back into the house.

"How is Rory doing? She seems to be somewhat frail. Didn't the doctor give her a clean bill of health?" Emily asked concerned for her granddaughter.

"It's going to take time for her to get all her strength back, Mom. It hasn't been that long since she finished the Chemo." Lorelai informed her mother. "They still need to do some blood tests, but the doctor seems to be really optimistic. She's come a long way in a short amount of time."

"She still needs a nap in the afternoon." Janie commented. "At least she doesn't sleep half the day anymore. Plus, her appetite seems to be back to normal, so she's really making progress."

"Good. I'm glad things are going well." Emily nodded.

"Anyone want to walk down to the beach?" Janie asked.

"Sure kiddo. Let's leave a note for your mom and head down there." Lorelai said as they got up and went back into the house before heading to the beach to see what the boys were up to.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Later that afternoon, Jess walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. He spotted Luke slicing some apples and nodded to acknowledge his presence.

"The kids out back?" Jess asked as he poured the coffee into a cup.

"Yeah. I thought I'd cut up some apple to hold them over until dinner. Rory still sleeping?"

"Yeah, Janie said she went upstairs a couple hours ago, so she should be waking up soon. Where'd Lorelai, Emily, and Richard run off to?" Jess asked curiously.

"They're out on the back porch. Janie said they were going to finish looking at baby books or something."

"Photo albums? I don't think we have any other baby books. I'll go see what their up to. Join us after you're done?" Jess questioned.

"Sure." Luke responded before putting the apple slices into a large bowl and following Jess outside. He joined Jess on the porch shortly after and peer over at what Lorelai had in her hands. "What's that?"

"Pictures of Drew as a baby. I was just showing Dad the albums Rory, Mom, Janie, and I were looking at earlier. Oh, look how cute Drew was!" Lorelai said pointing to the picture of Jess and Drew smirking.

Luke smiled and nodded in approval.

"His middle name is Richard." Richard said proudly.

"Really? So is Williams. Looks like some people think highly of you Richard." Luke commented to which Richard nodded and smiled before adding, "I'm deeply touched."

"Do you think we could look at the other three albums or should we wait for Rory?" Lorelai asked Jess.

"She should be waking up pretty soon, so it's probably ok to look through them. You can always ask about stuff later if you have questions. It's not like she hasn't seen the pictures before." Jess responded not realizing it was more important to look at the pictures together than the actual pictures themselves.

Lorelai hesitated, but noticed that everyone else wanted to see the albums, so she grabbed the next one from the pile. Luke moved to sit in the chair next to her and peer over her shoulder. Everyone was shocked when she turned to the first page and saw the name "Alexander Lucas Mariano" scrawled across the page.

"Lucas" Luke whispered before looking up at Jess.

"You deserve it Luke. We wanted to give him a name with some meaning behind it. We also hoped that one day you'd meet him and be a good role model for him." Jess explained. "Little did we know that we were actually giving him his grandfather's name."

"Thanks Jess. That means a lot to me." Luke said before getting up and giving Jess a hug.

The group looked through the book and marveled at the beautiful, sweet baby boy in the pictures. They all loved looking at the pictures, but couldn't help but feel a little sad that they missed those wonderful moments.

As they were finishing the book, Rory stepped onto the back porch with a cup of coffee. "Hey. What is everyone up to?" She said as she walked over to where Jess was seated and sat lightly on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and said, "Looking at baby pictures. Did you sleep good?"

"Yeah, I needed that nap. I feel much better now, thanks." She turned to the rest of the group and asked "Which book are you looking at?"

"We just finished Alex's. Next must be Danny." Lorelai said while lifting the book. She turned to the first page and read "Daniel James Mariano". She shifted the book to Emily's lap and picked up the last book before reading "Nicholas Jess Mariano". "You finally got your name in there, huh Jess?" She teased.

"I had to practically beg to give Nick his father's middle name. Jess said he didn't want one of the kids to have his name, but I finally got my way." Rory grinned.

They flipped through the pages, once again marveling at the two precious little babies. As they finished looking at the pictures, Emily spoke up. "Those were lovely Rory. You did an excellent job with these albums, very well put together."

"Thank you Grandma. I had fun putting them together, plus I wanted to keep them in the hope that we could all look at them together some day." She smiled. "Looks like I got my wish."

"I don't know if this is the proper time, but I'd like to speak with you about something Jess." Richard inquired. "It's about college funds and trusts."

"Janie, do you mind excusing us for a while. We need to talk money and adult business." Jess asked his daughter knowing she already understood.

"Of course Daddy. I'm going to be up in my room reading." She said while excusing herself.

"Look Richard, I just want you to know that Rory and I have all this taken care of. We don't have any trusts set up, but there really isn't anything to put in a trust at this point. We've got money, but we're not Rockefellers." He informed his grandfather in-law. "We have college funds set up. It should be enough for each of them to go wherever they want for college. We add money to the existing funds every year, so they should be good to go by the time they're in college." He paused and took a breath before continuing, "I know you probably mean well and all, but I'd rather put them through college myself. I'm sure you can understand."

Richard nodded and thought before responding. "I can respect your sense of duty, Jess. It's very honorable. A man should put his children through college. As you probably know, Rory is in our will and thus will receive a portion of Emily and my estate eventually. I'd like to add a clause to the will that put a portion of that money towards the funds you already have set up, if that would be alright with you."

"Well Richard, I'd really rather Rory and I worry about financing their college educations. What about a compromise?" Jess offered.

"What do you suggest?" Richard asked curious at what Jess would come up with.

"How about instead of putting the money in their college funds, you set them up with retirement funds? That way they'd have something set aside and could earn considerable value by the time their ready to use it. That would allow me to take care of my family and allow you to do something generous for your great-grandchildren."

Richard nodded while considering the matter. "Well, I think that sounds reasonable. I'll call our lawyer and have it drawn up when we get back." He nodded again and extended his hand to Jess.

Jess shook his hand and responded, "Thank you Richard. I appreciate it."

"Geeze, this is starting to feel like a board room." Lorelai joked.

"These are matters that need to be discussed, Lorelai." Emily commented.

"I know, it's just a heavy topic is all."

"Ok, I'll change the subject then." Emily said before turning to Rory. "Rory, have you spoken to your father recently?"

"Um, no. Why?" Rory asked.

"Just curious is all. It's been a long time since I've heard from Christopher."

"Well, last I heard, he was pretty involved with Sherry and their baby. He didn't really seem too interested in his oldest daughter." Rory said with the hurt she felt evident in her voice.

Lorelai was a bit confused as to what Rory was implying. She knew Chris was never a very good father to Rory, but they seemed to be getting along better before she left.

"I actually called him when Jess and I first moved here. It actually took me a while to get a hold of him. I kept leaving messages on his voicemail, but he never responded. Right before Janie was born I was able to speak with him. I explained that I was pregnant and had left Stars Hallow. He freaked out and basically said I was just like my mom and should be able to figure it all out on my own pretty easily." Rory looked down at her hands before finishing. "The thing that really did it for me was when he said he hoped his new daughter turned out to be better than me."

"That's horrible!" Emily spat out.

"That scoundrel!" Richard said while clenching his fists.

"Oh, Rory. I'm so sorry. You know none of that is true." Lorelai tried to comfort her. Luke didn't say anything but Rory could tell he was planning several ways to inflict pain on Christopher if he ever saw him again.

"I know. It's still hurtful, but I know it's not true." Rory said firmly while Jess rubbed her back. "Jess practically leapt through the phone and strangled him after that, so Dad's been silent ever since. I don't really want to have anything to do with him anymore. I know he's my Dad, but I'm just sick of him screwing things up and me giving him a second chance. He had an opportunity and it's gone now. In all reality, he's worse off than me. He didn't get to be a grandfather and know his wonderful grandchildren. He's really missing out." She finished and everyone agreed.

"I'm sorry I brought that up Rory. I had no idea, please forgive me?" Emily apologized.

"Don't worry about it Grandma. It's in the past and I've moved on." She assured her.

"What do you say we start some dinner?" Luke asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"That sounds like a good plan." Jess responded while everyone got up and went into the house to help prepare dinner.

Sometime after dinner and after the kids were all in bed, Luke went upstairs and found Jess at his computer in the office.

"Hey. You got a minute?" Luke asked as he leaned against the door frame.

Jess turned around and looked up. "Sure. Grab a seat." He said while turning his chair and pulling out the chair from Rory's desk. "What's on your mind?"

"Besides that fact that I have another reason to hate Christopher?" Luke asked while Jess nodded and hung his head.

"That guy is a class A jackass." Jess said. "Really knows how to screw up."

Luke nodded before getting to the real reason he wanted to talk. "Have you talked to your mom at all since you and Rory left Stars Hallow?"

"No. I haven't really wanted to." Jess said while stiffening in his seat.

"You should." Luke stated plainly.

"Why? So she can tell me about some crazy guy she's dating or the latest place she's staying at?" Jess said in frustration. "Or may so she can make yet another promise about how she's going to get her life together."

Luke sighed before explaining, "Look, Jess, I know she wasn't the best mother when you were growing up. Her life was a mess, which really sucked for you. You got a raw deal growing up. I'm sorry that happened to you, but things are different now. Liz really does have her act together now. She's had her act together for about ten years actually. She got married to a guy named TJ around the same time Lorelai and I got married. TJ's a little kooky, but he's a good guy and really treats Liz well. They have a daughter, Doula. She's seven years old. You have a little sister. They live in Stars Hallow now, in their own house, and really have a good thing going for them." Luke explained.

Jess sat quietly for a few minutes, thinking about what Luke had said. "Doula? Isn't that like a midwife or something?" Jess finally broke the silence with.

"Yeah, well, that's Liz and TJ for you." Luke smirked. "You really should talk to her Jess. She was pretty worried about you. I filled her in on everything after Rory got in touch with Lorelai. She's wanted to call you, but I told her to let you make the first move. I thought it would be better that way."

"You're right. I wouldn't have talked to her if she called. Considering everything you said though, it sounds like I should give her another chance." Jess pondered. "I'll give her a call, but this is the last chance. If you're wrong about her Luke, I'm done." Jess said.

"Ok, sounds fair. Here, use my cell phone. Her number's in there. She's usually up pretty late, so I don't think you'd be bothering her." Luke said while hanging his cell phone to Jess. Jess nodded and Luke left the room. He sighed and walked to the master bedroom. He knocked and entered after Rory said "come in".

"Hey Luke, need something?" She asked as he slowly poked his head in.

"I just talked to Jess. I explained how Liz got her life back together and how Jess has a little seven year old sister. He's calling Liz right now. Just thought you'd want to know." Luke said before saying goodnight and heading back downstairs.

"Ok, thanks Luke." Rory said as he left. She got up to go support Jess, but decided to wait for him to finish his conversation first.

Almost half an hour later, Jess entered the room and sighed. Rory quickly got up from where she had been reading in bed and gave him a tight hug.

"Luke said you called your mom?"

"Yeah, it actually went well. I think she's really on the right track now. Strangely enough, I think we reconciled our differences and are ok now." He said as he stroked her hair.

"Good. I'm glad you had a chance to do that." She said, genuinely happy for him. "Ready for bed?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day." Jess said as he went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Rory got back in bed and sighed before going back to reading her book.

**A/N: Sorry if this seems kind of dull. There is some more exciting stuff coming up soon! Stay tuned and please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

The next day marked the end of Richard and Emily's stay with the Mariano family. Jess loaded their bags into the car while they said goodbye to the family. Several minutes later they were on the road heading toward the airport. Upon arrival, Jess quickly helped them get their bags and pass them off to an attendant. He turned to say goodbye to the Gilmores and was surprised when Emily quickly hugged him.

She pulled back before saying, "I was wrong about you Jess. You're a good man, the perfect husband for Rory, and a wonderful father. Keep taking good care of yourself and your family."

"Thanks Emily." Jess said before giving her a kiss on the check. He turned and shook Richard's hand before saying, "It was nice to see you Richard. Have a safe trip home."

"Thank you Jess. I'll call you this week about the will arrangements."

Jess nodded in response and waved as they walked into the terminal. He got back in the car and began to drive home. Richard and Emily's visit had gone better than he expected. They even liked him in the end and seemed to have really enjoyed their visit. Jess came back to reality and decided he better pay closer attention to the road. Suddenly, the car in front of him came to a halt. Jess quickly slammed on the breaks and stopped inches from the car in front of him. "Shit" He whispered as his heart raced. Traffic began to move again and he pulled off the road and into a nearby coffee shop parking lot. He turned off the car and sat for a moment. He exhaled deeply and got out of the car to grab a quick cup of coffee to calm his nerves. Moments later he returned to the car and quickly got back on his way home. He pulled up to the driveway and parked the car before getting out and throwing the paper coffee cup in the garbage can. He jogged up the walkway and onto the porch before slowing down to open the door.

"Hey, you're that happy to get rid of my parents?" Lorelai asked as Jess entered.

Jess smirked and went to see what the kids were up to. He found the boys playing a game in the backyard and Janie planting some flowers in her garden. She'd taken an interest in Sasha's garden, so Jess made some space for her to do what she wished in their yard. At the moment, she was putting some flowers into the ground around the edge of the space.

"Hey, can I give you a hand?" Jess asked while taking a seat on the grass.

"Sure, just dig a hole about the size of these." She said while pointing to the hole in the ground in front of her. "From there you just put the plant in and cover it up. Like this." She demonstrated while Jess watched intently.

Unbeknownst to them, Lorelai and Rory had stepped out onto the porch and were observing the exchange between father and daughter.

"Seriously Rory, are you sure these kids are my grandkids?" Lorelai joked. "Gardening, eating healthy, playing outside, reading. Those are not characteristics I exhibit. They must have been switched at the hospital or something."

"I can assure you they weren't switched at birth. They all act too much like their father to have been switched. I think it's the whole living in California that's had a big part of how we all live." Rory commented. "They act a lot more like you than you realize." She said while turning her attention back to the boys and their game.

"Can I ask you something?" Lorelai questioned.

"Of course, what's up?"

"Do you ever regret where your life as taken you?" Lorelai said while looking at Rory and waiting for a response.

"No. I don't regret anything that happened. I'm certainly not where I expected to be at this age, but I think my life has turned out better than I could have imagined." Rory continued to think over the question as she continued talking. "I remember back in high school I thought I had my whole life figured out. I thought I'd go to Yale and get a degree in Journalism before landing some really awesome internship with a major paper. I'd end up getting a really good job right away working for the New York Times and spend my early to mid twenties focusing on my career. Of course, after that I'd met the perfect guy and get married and have a big white wedding in Stars Hallow. I'd have a couple of kids and live the perfect little life." Rory paused while thinking about what that life would have been like.

"Things don't always turn out like we planned." Lorelai offered.

"No they sure don't. I did get most of my wishes though. I have a wonderful husband and children, so that part of the plan worked out, just not in the same order as I originally thought."

"What about your career?" Lorelai asked hoping she wasn't prying too much.

"I'm still working on that one. I definitely made a choice to not work right now. I could have worked for a paper or something, but it just seemed like I should be with the kids. I'm planning to go back to work full time in a few years once Danny and Nick are a little older." She explained. "Jess is always encouraging me to do whatever I want. He's offered to stay home with the kids while I go back to work, but I like the arrangement we have now. Plus, he is home a lot, so it's not like we have the traditional arrangement going on. We're both raising them." Rory continued her thoughts before Lorelai could respond. "I do write some freelance articles every once in a while, just to keep my writing skills sharp. Plus, I help with running the bookstore on an administrative level. You know, things like doing the books and making sure payroll is done correctly."

"Really?" Lorelai asked, impressed that Rory was taking on so much.

"Yeah, I actually have a business degree, along with a journalism degree, from Pepperdine University, so it's really not that much work. I like being involved in everything, but you know that. I've always been crazy busy and trying to do everything." Rory said.

"True. Pepperdine, huh? You never told me you went to college. When did you find time to do that?"

"When Danny and Nick were six months old. Jess thought I should go for it since life wasn't ever going to slow down enough to find the time to go. We had to make the time and we did. I graduated a year ago." Rory said proudly.

"That so great Rory. I'm really proud of you." Lorelai beamed while giving her a hug. "I'm also so proud of you for doing so well recently, health wise and all. You've overcome so much and you really have a lot to be proud of yourself."

"Thanks mom. I do feel proud, but also extremely grateful to be alive and almost well. You really do have to live everyday as if it were your last, you know?" Rory paused before posing a question for Lorelai. "What about you? Do you regret anything or are you happy with where your life has taken you?"

"I'm happy with how everything's turned out. I regret the time we spent apart, but we're together again, so life's all good again." Lorelai answered before continuing. "I love that I finally have my middle with Luke. I love Jack and Will." Lorelai smiled thinking about her family. "Plus, I have a successful business, Luke has a successful business, we have wonderful friends in Stars Hallow and, surprisingly, I have a pretty good relationship with my parents. I think one of the best things has turned out to be having you back and being able to spend time with my grandchildren." Lorelai smiled at Rory before finishing. "Now that I think about it, I do have one regret. I never toured with The Bangles." Lorelai said in a serious tone.

"I think you can still do that. Last I heard, they were planning another world wide tour." Rory joked. "I'm sure Luke wouldn't mind if you just flaked out and went on a worldwide concert tour."

"What wouldn't I mind?" Luke said as he walked onto the porch and took a seat next to Lorelai.

"Me leaving you with Jack and Will and joining The Bangles on tour." Lorelai said as she pated his knee.

"Oh, sure. No problem." Luke said sarcastically. "Would you like me to take over running the Dragonfly in your absence as well?"

"Thanks. That'd be great, babe." She said before giving him a quick kiss. "Isn't my husband the best?" She asked Rory.

"That's very generous of you Luke. You really know how to take care of my mom. I approve." Rory nodded in approval.

"Good, I'm glad I have your approval. Now I can stop acting on my best behavior and start being a pig." Luke joked before switching the subject. "Are you two getting hungry? I was thinking of starting dinner."

"I think I'm going to go take a quick nap, but it would be really great if you could start dinner, Luke." Rory said while getting up and going back into the house.

Luke stood up and offered his hand to Lorelai. "Want to help me Crazy Lady?"

"I'd be delighted." She joked while taking his hand and following him into the house.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. Also, please let me know if there is anything you'd like to see happen in this story. I'll try to incorporate your ideas.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Two updates in one day! Ok, you asked for twists and turns, here you go…**

After everyone had finished eating dinner and the kitchen had been cleaned, the Danes and Mariano families setting into the living room for a classic Gilmore movie night. As the first movie came to an end, Lorelai started the next one. Just as she sat back down, the door bell rang. Jess and Rory looked at each other wondering who it could be since no one ever rang the bell.

"I'll get it." Jess said while getting up. "Keep the movie going, I'll be right back."

Jess opened the front door to see who it was and was surprised to see no one there. Just as he was getting ready to close the door, he noticed a figure standing on the steps, just out of the lamp light. Jess moved forward, closing the front door behind him and stepping onto the porch. "Can I help you with something?" He asked as a teenage boy stepped forward and into the light.

"Hi. I'm looking for Jess Mariano." The boy said

"I'm Jess. What can I do for you?" Jess said while looking at the boy who looked strangely familiar.

"Oh." The boy said looking at him for a while before continuing. "I'm your son."

"wha…?" Jess stammered out as his mouth went dry. He tried to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth. He quietly closed the door and sat on the porch steps. He put his hands on his head as everything started to go dizzy. After several deep breaths, he looked up at the boy and motioned for him to sit on the steps as well. The boy did as he was instructed. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Jess finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name, what did you say it was?"

"I didn't. I'm Jordan Mariano." He said while extending his hand.

Jess slowly shook his hand before responding. "Jordan Mariano. Mariano, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess my mom thought I'd appreciate it someday. Either that or she's just old fashioned and thought I should have my father's last name." He shrugged. "She's a little crazy, from what I remember, so I really wouldn't put it past her to have just done it on a whim too."

"Ah, who is your mom?" Jess asked while trying to do math in his head.

"Lydia Coleman. She told me you guys dated for a couple of months when you were living in Brooklyn, New York." Jordan saw the sudden realization in Jess' eyes and continued. "She also told me that you just all of a sudden moved to another part of the city and changed schools. She figured it wasn't worth contacting you after she found out she was pregnant."

"Yeah, my mom was kinda crazy too so we moved around a lot. I think that was the last time I moved before she sent me to live with my uncle in Stars Hallow, Connecticut. I was kind of an ass back then. I don't know what I would've done if I'd know about you. I was fifteen. I probably would have been a horrible father at that age, but I would've stuck around for you and tried my best." Jess admitted.

"Hey man, don't freak out about anything. I don't blame you for anything; you didn't even know I existed until a few minutes ago." He reassured his father.

As Jess was about to respond, Rory opened the door and stepped onto the front porch. "Hey, here you are. I was starting to worry; you stepped a long time ago. The movie's almost over." She stopped short upon noticing the visitor and Jess' pale face. "Jess are you ok? Who is this?"

"uh, well…" Jess managed to get out while trying to wrap his mind around the situation.

Jordan got up and turned toward Rory and introduced himself. "Hi. I'm Jordan Mariano. I'm Jess' son."

Rory's eyes went wide and she backed away a little at his revelation. "um, wow. Son? Seriously?"

Jess got up and walked over to Rory. He put his arm around her waist and grabbed her hand. "Jordan, this is Rory, my wife." She gave a small smile and extended her free hand toward Jordan. He shook her hand and stepped back a little.

"I'm sorry for just showing up and interrupting your night. Maybe I should come back tomorrow?" He asked suddenly becoming uncomfortable.

"No, it's fine. You're more than welcome here. It's just a lot of information to take in right now. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around all this. We have an apartment above our garage. Why don't we head up there and get you set up for the night?"

"That sounds great. Thank you. It was nice to meet you Rory. See you in the morning." He nodded while picking up his duffel bag and following Jess around to the garage, leaving a stunned Rory standing on the porch.

Jess led the way to the apartment while Jordan followed closely behind. Once they were upstairs and Jordan had put his bag down, Jess motioned for him to sit on the couch, while Jess sat in a chair opposite him. Neither said anything for several minutes until Jess finally broke the silence. "So, tell me about yourself."

"Ok, well, I'm sixteen. I live in San Francisco with my grandparents. I'm going to be a junior in high school this fall." He started.

"I figured you were about sixteen. I was fifteen when your mom and I dated. She was a year older than me, from what I remember. You live with your grandparents?" Jess questioned.

"Yeah, I've basically lived with them my whole life. Since my mom was only sixteen when she had me, we all lived together. They've always been really cool. They weren't pleased that their daughter had a kid at sixteen, but they wanted to make sure I grew up right, so they got passed being mad and supported my mom. Unfortunately, Lydia got into drugs and alcohol around the time she graduated high school, so my grandparents took me on full time. She was in and out of rehab for like five years and then ran off to live with some guy after that. My grandpa's job transferred him to San Francisco around the time I started third grade and we've lived there ever since. I used to see Lydia once a year after we moved to San Francisco, but about two years ago she flaked out and got back into drugs. We don't really know where she is or what's happening with her right now."

"Wow. That's a lot to deal with. I can kind of relate to that with my own mom, but she's got her act together now and we're cool. I'm glad your grandparents took care of you though, at least you had some stability in your life." Jess commented before continuing, "You know, I really would have tried to help you out. I was pretty screwed up when I dated Lydia, but I got my act together a couple years later. I could have help."

"Don't worry about it too much, Jess. Lydia never told me who you were. She always told me and my grandparents that she dated some guy with the last name 'Mariano' and he was my father. The last time she visited I finally got her to tell me your first name. It's taken me a while to get up the nerve to contact you. I was going to call, but I figured being here in person would be better." Jordan said.

"Do your grandparents know you're here?"

"Yeah. They didn't really want me to come by myself, but I finally talked them into it. They've always been really supportive of me and knew I'd call for help if I ran into trouble. I took the train down to LA and then a bus out here to Venice Beach." Jordan explained.

"Ok, I just wanted to make sure they weren't frantically looking for you or anything."

"So, I don't know a whole lot about you Jess. What's your life like?" Jordan asked.

"Well, it's really good actually. You met my wife, Rory, she's the main reason for that." Jess smiled before launching into the story of his life. "Shortly after I dated your mom, my mom moved us to Queens and made me transfer schools for the hundredth time. I started to get into trouble; drugs, vandalism, drinking. So, my mom sent me to live with my Uncle in Stars Hallow, Connecticut. I still acted out while I was there, but I met Rory and tried to behave. Needless to say, my hoodlum ways ran deep, even after I started dating Rory, which pissed a lot of people off. Shortly after Rory graduated high school, we found out she was pregnant. Rory's mom and my uncle flipped out, so Rory and I ran off to Venice Beach, where we've been ever since. We actually have five kids now; one girl, four boys."

"Wow." Jordan nodded. "Sounds like we've had some similar life experiences as kids at least."

"Unfortunately. No kid should have to put up with that crap. I've made sure mine haven't had to." Jess said before he realized his error. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you had to deal with that and since you're my kid, I can't really say that. Sorry."

"Again, don't worry about it. You didn't know and if you did, it sounds like you would have done something about it. It's cool." Jordan assured him.

Rory stood on the porch in silence for several minutes after Jess and Jordan left. She could barely believe what had just been revealed. She wondered how the heck Jess could have a son. A million questions popped into her head, but she shook her head and told herself she'd ask Jess when he came back to the house. He obviously had no idea about this kid either by the look on his face, so it wasn't like she had anything to be angry about. She was just so shocked she wasn't sure what to do. She quickly gathered herself and went back into the house. Thankfully, the kids had long since fallen asleep in the living room during their movie night. Lorelai noticed something was wrong as soon as Rory stepped back into the room.

"Rory, you look like you've just seen a ghost. You're white as a sheet. Is everything ok? Where's Jess?" Lorelai asked concerned. Both she and Luke got up and followed Rory into the kitchen. "Rory, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"I'm not really sure." Rory said which only confused Luke and Lorelai more. "Jess has a kid." Rory stated.

"Yeah, we know. He's got five of them." Luke responded.

"A son. Jess has a son." Rory added still in disbelief.

"Yes, four of his kids are sons." Lorelai said while trying to figure out what was going on. Lorelai put her hands on Rory's shoulders and gently shook her a little. "Rory, what's wrong. You've got to help us out here."

Rory shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog that had settled in. She looked at Lorelai and Luke and explained what had happened on the porch. "Some kid showed up and said he was Jess' son. That's who was at the door. He looks a couple years older than Janie. I have no idea what's going on, but Jess seemed to be pretty shocked about it. He's taking the kid to the apartment above the garage for the night."

Lorelai and Luke stared at Rory for a while and then at each other. Luke finally broke the silence. "What? How the hell does Jess have another kid? Who is this kid?"

"I have no idea as to the details, but I sure as hell plan to find out." Rory answered.

As Lorelai was about to speak up Will entered the room and tugged on her arm. "Mommy, I'm sleepy."

"I know sweetie. You fell asleep during the movie. Let's go upstairs and tuck you in." She said while stroking his hair and leading him upstairs.

"I guess we should get everyone to their beds before we continue this conversation." Luke said while going into the living room. He quietly picked up a sleeping Nick and carried him upstairs. Rory attempted to pick up Danny, but realized she wasn't quite up to carrying him. Instead, she went over to Janie and gently woke her up. Janie yawned and went upstairs to sleep in her own bed. Rory was able to get Drew and Alex up and to their beds before Luke came back down.

"I've got Danny. Lorelai's tucking them in if you want to go up." Luke said while picking up the sleeping boy. Rory fallowed closely behind him and went to each room to kiss each child goodnight. After finishing, she walked back downstairs to discover Jess sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. She took a seat at the table opposite him and waited for him to make the first move. Luke and Lorelai quickly descended the stairs and joined them at the table.

Jess exhaled deeply and raised his head. He looked at Rory and reached across the table to hold her hands in his. "I can't believe this is happening." He said. "Apparently, I have a son I never knew about." He said while shrugging his shoulders.

"How old is he?" Rory asked.

"Sixteen." Jess answered knowing the question she was really asking. "I dated his mom when I was fifteen and lived in Brooklyn. It was before I came to Stars Hallow."

Rory nodded and Jess continued to explain. "His mom was Lydia Coleman. We weren't very seriously dating, but being irresponsible teenagers and having unprotected sex. I never even knew she was pregnant. I guess by the time she found out Liz had moved us again and Lydia never bothered to try and find me."

"Fifteen?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, apparently I was a father at fifteen. I had no clue. I would have taken total responsibility and tried my best to take care of Jordan if I'd known." Jess said still feeling guilty about the situation.

"Jess, it's ok. You didn't know." Rory said. "Jordan? That's his name?"

"Yeah." Jess smiled. "He introduced himself to you, but apparently that didn't sink in."

"Nope, he completely lost me with the whole 'I'm Jess' son' thing." Rory said. "I never expected to hear that come from anyone other than our kids."

"Neither did I. I'm still kind of in shock."

"So, he's staying the night? Is everything ok with him? He isn't in trouble is he?" Lorelai asked softly.

"He's fine. His grandparents let him come here. He's been living with them in San Francisco and they said it was cool for him to come here and try to find me." Jess explained. "He's staying in the apartment above the garage for the night. We're going to talk more in the morning."

"Ok. Can I meet him again in the morning?" Rory asked.

"Of course. I want you to be part of this too. He's your stepson, I guess, so you should be right there with me on this."

"Stepson. Wow. I never thought I'd have a stepson." Rory said while turning to look at Luke and Lorelai. "I guess you have another grandkid." She said as if questioning whether it was true or not.

"I guess so." Luke said. "I think we should head to bed. How about I make a big pancake breakfast for everyone in the morning?"

"That sounds really good. Thanks Luke." Rory said. Luke and Lorelai got up and each gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before going into the guest room and closing the door.

"I think we should head upstairs. We have a big morning coming up."Rory said while getting up from the table. Jess hesitated for a while before Rory motioned for him to follow her.

A few minutes later, Jess and Rory lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. "I'm still trying to get my head around this." Jess stated matter of fact.

"So am I." Rory said.

"Rory, are you mad?" Jess asked cautiously.

"What? Mad? How could I be mad at you for this Jess?" Rory quickly responded while turning and putting her head on Jess' chest. "You didn't do anything wrong, love. You never knew. It's going to be ok, you'll sort it all out. Is Jordan mad at you?"

"No. That's the strange thing. He had a shitty childhood without his mom or me and he's not extremely pissed off at me. It's weird. I was pissed at Jimmy for a long time before I finally gave him a chance."

"Jess, it's a bit different for Jordan. He was raised by his grandparents and was able to have some stability. Plus, he knows you didn't know about him. You didn't abandon him. You never knew." Rory comforted him while rubbing his stomach.

"You're right." Jess sighed and kissed the top of her head. He held her close as they both lay in silence while trying to drift off to sleep.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! **


	16. Chapter 16

After only a few hours of restless sleep, Jess opened his eyes and stared at the clock on the bedside table. He sighed and rolled out of bed after seeing that it was only five am. Before going into the bathroom, he looked back at Rory, who was curled up sleeping peacefully. He ran his hand through his hair while turning and going into the bathroom. About twenty minutes later, Jess exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and quietly opened the dresser drawers. He grabbed the clothes and was about to go back into the bathroom as Rory rolled over in bed and looked over at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Jess said. "Go back to bed."

"No, I'm up." She sighed and sat up in bed. She looked at him with concern in her eyes before asking, "Jess, are you ok?"

"What do you mean? Of course I'm ok. I just didn't sleep very well last night." He lied. He set the clothes on top of the dresser and began to put them on.

"Jess." Rory said while crossing her arms over her knees. "I think by now I know when something is bothering you. Let's talk about it."

Jess turned to look at her before crossing his arms and frowning. "Rory, there's nothing to discuss. I just didn't sleep well, ok? Geeze." He huffed as he left the room and went downstairs. He quickly made his way to the front door and stepped onto the porch. The sun was slowly coming up so Jess assumed Jordan would still be asleep. He walked down the porch steps, along the walk way, and began to walk down the street.

Rory sighed as Jess exited the room. She lowered her head for a moment before pushing the covers back and getting out of bed. She groaned at how early it was before leaving the room and going downstairs to brew a pot of coffee.

After drinking almost half the pot of coffee, Rory noticed Luke quietly open the guest bedroom door and step in the living room. He looked up and jumped slightly when he saw her sitting at the kitchen table.

"Oh, Rory. You startled me. I didn't expect anyone to be up yet."

"Yeah, Jess and I didn't sleep well last night." She said while looking down into the coffee cup. "I didn't mean to startle you. Did you sleep well?" She quickly managed to change the subject.

"I slept fine. You're mom's still asleep, as usual." Luke got up and started to make a cup of tea before turning to Rory and asking, "Is everything ok? You seem a little off. Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine. Jess is upset about Jordan and won't talk to me about it, but other than that I'm good." She explained.

"I'm sure he just needs time to process it all. It's a huge thing, a son coming out of nowhere like that. I'm sure he's just trying to figure out how to handle it."

"I know it's a huge deal, I just wish he'd talk to me. He shouldn't have to deal with it all on his own." Rory said. "He's usually really good about discussing everything with me. He hasn't been that closed off to me for a really long time. This is something that affects us all. We should all deal with it."

Luke nodded before offering advice. "Well, you know him better than I do, but just give him some time. He'll come around."

"I know. I just hope it's sooner rather than later." Rory finished as she heard a soft knock at the front door. She set her coffee cup down and went to answer it as Luke poured hot water into a cup for his morning tea.

Rory opened the door to see Jordan standing there with his hands in his pockets. He gave her a soft smile before greeting her. "Good morning Mrs. Mariano. I'm sorry it's so early, but I was up and saw a light on in the kitchen. Is it ok if I come in?"

"Oh, yes, please come in." She said while stepping aside to let him in. "Call me Rory. Mrs. Mariano sounds so old and if it's one thing I'm not, it's old." She joked. "Join us in the kitchen. Do you drink coffee or tea?"

"Coffee, please." He said as they entered the kitchen and Luke looked up at them. He walked to Jordan and extended his hand.

"Hi. I'm Luke Danes, Rory's step-father."

Jordan shook his hand firmly before responding. "I'm Jordan Mariano. Jess' son."

The two looked at each other for a moment while Rory poured a cup of coffee for Jordan. She handed it to him and motioned for him to sit at the kitchen table. He thanked her and took a sip of the coffee.

"mmm. This is really good coffee."

"Thanks. I've been addicted to the stuff for years, so I've had a lot of practice." She responded. Feeling a little awkward, she said "Jordan, I'm sorry if this is awkward, but I'm not really sure what to say."

"Yeah, I don't either. I'm not really sure what to do now that I've found you. When I first set out to find my father, I didn't expect him to have a family, for some reason. I thought I'd find some bachelor living in New York who wasn't particularly interested in me. The last thing I expected was to find Jess married with five kids and living on the beach in California. For some reason it's just not what I pictured." He explained.

Luke chuckled a little which caused Jordan to frown in confusion. "I don't think anyone expected to see Jess where he is today. I sure as hell didn't." Luke said. "It's good though, it suits him."

Jordan nodded before asking, "I'm not really sure what to call either of you. This is a little complicated. What should I call you?"

"Well, you can call me Rory if that works for you." She offered. "I'm not really sure how this all works. You're Jess' son, so that would make you my stepson. I really wouldn't like to be called 'stepmom', so let's go with Rory."

"Ok, Rory it is then." Jordan said. "What about you Luke?"

"Luke is fine." He said. "How we're related is sort of confusing. I'm Rory's stepdad, I'm married to her mom, but I'm also Jess' Uncle. Rory and Jess' kids call me 'Grandpa' but I'm technically their step grandfather. I think since you're related to Jess by blood, but not Rory, that would make you my great nephew." He looked at Jordan who seemed to be really confused and simply said, "Why don't you just call me Luke."

"Yeah, I think that's for the best, Luke." Jordan said. "So, Luke, do you and Rory's mom live here with Jess and Rory?"

"No, we're actually just visiting. It's kind of a long story, but it's been a long time since we've all gotten together. In fact, this is the first time we've met the grandkids and Rory's met her brothers so it's been an extended trip for all of us." Luke tried to explain without going into the details.

"What are you saying about me?" Lorelai asked as she sleepily walked into the kitchen in search of coffee. Luke quickly got up and poured her a cup as she smiled and sat at the table. As Luke was setting the cup down Lorelai grabbed it and took a long sip. She set it down and turned to look at Jordan. "Hi, I'm Lorelai, Rory's mom and Luke's wife."

"Jordan Mariano. Nice to meet you." He said while shaking her hand.

"Ah, you're Jess' son. Nice to finally meet you."

"So, Lorelai, it's ok to just call you 'Lorelai', right? Luke and Rory have been explaining the family tree and it's a bit confusing." He smiled.

"Actually, I'd prefer if you referred to me as step grandma/great aunt. I think that would be the easiest." She joked but noticed that Jordan wasn't sure if she was joking or not. "I'm kidding, of course Lorelai is fine." She smiled.

"Oh, ok. Are you enjoying your trip? Luke said you've been visiting for a while?"

"Yes, I've been out here all summer and Luke and the boys joined us a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, the boys have to go back to school in three weeks, so we're planning to fly home late next week." She explained while looking sadly at Rory.

"Well, it's nice you were able to spend some time together. How many boys do you have?"

"Two. Jack is eight and Will is six. They're great. You'll meet them eventually." Lorelai thought before trying to explain, "I'm not really sure how they're related to you, but I think it's safe to just go on a first name basis for now. We'll figure that one out later."

"We may have to break out charts and graphs to explain that." Rory joked.

As they were laughing and talking, Alex wandered into the kitchen in his pajamas. Oblivious to the stranger in the room, he went over to the kitchen table, pulled out and climbed into a chair next to Rory, and cuddled close to her. Rory smiled and wrapped her arm around him and stroked his hair.

"Are you sleepy buddy?"

Alex nodded and said, "I'm hungry. When's breakfast?"

"How about we make something right now?" Rory asked looking at the clock and realizing it was getting late. She got out of her chair and helped Alex down from his before Alex noticed Jordan.

"Who's that?" Alex asked while pointing at Jordan.

Rory's eyes went wide as she struggled to come up with an answer. She looked at Luke and Lorelai before coming up with something. "That's Jordan. He's a friend of your Daddy's." She gave Jordan an apologetic look and hoped he'd be fine with her explanation.

"Hi. What's your name?" Jordan smiled and asked before Rory mouthed a silent thank you.

"I'm Alex." He said while turning his attention to the cereal his mother was pouring for him. He carefully carried the bowl of Lucky Charms to the table and sat next to Jordan. "I like Lucky Charms. They're really good. Do you like Lucky Charms?" He said while taking a large bite.

Jordan smirked at the boy. "Yes, I like Lucky Charms. The shamrock marshmallows are the best." As he finished Rory set a bowl of cereal down in front of him and refilled his coffee cup. "Thanks Rory."

Soon the rest of the kids were gathered around the table eating various breakfast cereals. As Lorelai looked around she realized that Jess hadn't made an appearance this morning. She moved over to where Rory was standing by the sink and quietly asked, "Rory, where's Jess. He doesn't usually sleep this late does he?"

Rory gave her mother a nervous look before quietly responding. "I'm not really sure. He left around 5:30 this morning and hasn't come back."

"Is everything ok?"

"No, but it will be. Jess is still really thrown about everything. He needs time to sort it all out." Rory looked at the clock and realized just how long Jess had been gone. "It's been several hours; do you think you or Luke would mind walking down the street to see if he's ok?"

Luke heard the end of their conversation and quickly told Rory he's go.

"Thanks Luke. You don't have to go too far. Just check the coffee shop and the bookstore. If he's not at either place than he really wants to be alone for a while." She instructed him. He nodded and left through the front door.

Jess sat in his office at the bookstore, staring at the computer. He had yet to turn it on, but was staring intently at the monitor. His mind had been running in overdrive for the last several hours trying to figure out what he was going to do with Jordan. He was totally thrilled and freaked out at the same time. Jess looked down at the note pad in front of him and studied the pro/con list he'd made. Rory's decision making method had worn off on him and really came in handy as he thought everything over. A loud knock on the office door and the turning of the door knob startled Jess out of his thoughts.

Luke entered and shut the door behind him. He took a seat in one of the chairs and paused for a moment. "Rory sent me to look for you Jess. She's starting to get worried about you. Are you ok?"

"I am now. I've had some time to sort things out. I think I have a game plan." Jess looked over at the clock on the wall behind him and groaned when he saw the time. "Crap. I didn't mean to be gone for more than an hour. I bet Rory's pissed."

"She's fine, just a little worried about you. She knows you need time to process all this, but she's not pissed. Geeze Jess, you'd think after all this time you'd know she wouldn't be pissed at you for something that's not your fault." Luke said while shaking his head.

"You're right. I've been so out of my mind since last night that I've completely shut her out." Jess thought out loud before realizing that Jordan was waiting for him back home. "Shit. I completely left Jordan in the lurch. He's probably sitting in the apartment waiting for his deadbeat father to come up."

Luke looked at him and frowned. "What's going on in that head of yours? Do you seriously think that? I met Jordan this morning. He's a great kid, Jess. He really doesn't seem to be upset with you at all. I really think he just wanted to meet you and see who you were. He doesn't have this agenda to make your life hell."

Jess realized Luke was right and he needed to stop obsessing over the situation. He sighed and sat back in the chair. "You met him?" Luke nodded in response.

"He had breakfast with us this morning."

Jess' eyes widened before asking, "Did the kids see him?"

"Yeah. Rory told them that Jordan was a friend of yours, which they seemed to buy. It was kind of weird actually, they all seemed to really hit it off right away. Jordan seemed to really like them too. He really is a great kid from what I can tell." Luke assured him.

"Well, then I guess I have nothing to worry about." Jess said while throwing the notepad in his hands onto the desk.

Luke looked it over before asking "Pro/con list?"

"Yeah, I needed to go over everything. It really does work well." He smirked. "I think I know what I'm going to do, Luke."

"Ok. What are you going to do?" Luke wondered.

"I'm going to be a Dad. I'm going to do my best to get to know Jordan and form a bond with him. It'll be weird since he lives in San Francisco with his grandparents. I'm going to let him continue to live the life he has there, but call him and visit him often. I don't want to throw a ton of change at him right away. I'd really like it if he could spend his school breaks and summers with us, but it's up to him."

"Sounds like a good idea." Luke said.

"I'd like him to get to know Rory and the kids. I want the whole family to bond with him. I'm going to treat him just like the rest of the kids. I'll pay for his college if he wants to go and let him help with the bookstore. He's sixteen, so I'm a little behind on all that, but I'll do my best to make sure it happens."

"It all sounds good to me. Congratulations Jess, it's a boy." Luke joked while he stood up and patted Jess on the shoulder. Jess stood and grabbed his keys off the desk.

"Let's get back to the house." Jess said as they left the office and walked out of the bookstore.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey" Jess said while entering the house. Luke followed close behind him as they walked into the kitchen.

"Hey" Lorelai said. "Rory's upstairs sleeping. She's feeling pretty tired today. The kids are out back and Jordan went down the street to get some coffee."

"Sounds like everything is under control here." Jess noted. "I didn't see Jordan while we were walking. How long ago did he leave?"

"About fifteen minutes ago." Lorelai answered.

"huh. We must have just missed him then." Jess said while sitting down at the kitchen table.

A few minutes later Jordan opened the front door, walked through the living room, and into the kitchen where he handed Lorelai an iced coffee. "Here, I thought you'd like that since you seem to really love coffee."

Lorelai was surprised and smiled at Jordan's thoughtfulness. "I think I like you, step grandson/great nephew. This relationship is going to work out well."

Jordan laughed at her antics. "Sorry Jess and Luke, I would have brought you both some coffee too, but I didn't know you were here."

"No worries." Jess said. "We actually just got back."

Everyone looked at each other for a moment before Luke looked at Lorelai and said, "Hey, Lorelai, let's go outside and check on the kids." She nodded, picked up her coffee, and followed him outside through the back door.

"He's not very good with being subtle, huh?" Jordan asked. "I guess this means we should talk or something."

Jess motioned for Jordan to join him at the table. Jess sighed and ran his hand through his hair before he began the conversation he'd spent all morning preparing for. "Look, Jordan, I want to set some things straight with you. I'm still really shocked that you're here, but I've thought a lot about it over the last couple hours. I really want to get to know you and develop a good relationship with you. I know you have a life established with your grandparents in San Francisco. However, I'd like you to also be a part of this family. I'm not exactly sure how we're going to do that, but we can talk on the phone and fly back and forth. I really want this to work out well for all of us." Jess said. He paused for a moment to allow Jordan to speak.

"Thanks Jess. I appreciate that." He nodded. "I'd really like this to work out well too. I really love my grandparents and all that they've done for me, but I've always wanted to meet my father and hoped that we would have a good relationship. I don't think I'll ever have that with my mom, so I was hoping to at least have a bond with my dad. I'm really happy that we're going to make that happen, Jess." He paused for a moment before asking, "Hey, do you think it would be ok for me to call you Dad?"

Jess was a little taken aback at how child like he seemed in asking that, but responded, "Sure, Jordan. That would be great."

Lorelai leaned closer to the screen door in an attempt to hear more of the conversation between Jordan and Jess, but Luke pulled her closer to him. "Lorelai" He warned her.

"I'm not hurting anyone. I'm just trying to hear how it's going." She justified.

"Well, I'm sure it's going fine. Jess has a pretty good handle on it now. He was just freaked for a while."

"No kidding. I don't think I've ever seen him so rattled before. I've seen him scared and worried, but not so completely in shock like that. Heck, I think I'm a little in shock over it all. Who would have thought that after everything they've gone through, especially this past summer that a sixteen year old kid would show up and say 'Hey, guess what? I'm your son.'" She said.

"I know. It's been an emotional summer for everyone."

"I can't believe the summer is almost over. It's gone by so fast." Lorelai said while resting her head on Luke's shoulder. "I'm getting used to California and being around Rory, Jess and the kids. It's going to be hard to be apart from them." She said sadly.

"I know, but it's only temporary. We'll see them again soon. Plus, you can talk to them every day on the phone and even use that Skype thing on the computer." Luke tried to cheer her up with.

"That's true." She noted. "I've really missed you, Jack, and Will all summer, so it will be nice to be with you guys again. I hate how far away we all are. If I'm with Rory and her family, than I'm away from our family. It sucks." Lorelai said while pouting. Luke gave her a hug and kissed her quickly.

"Ok, well, good talk." Jess said while lightly tapping the table with his hands. "This is going to work out well. I'm really excited about this Jordan."

"Good. So am I, Dad." Jordan smiled. He couldn't help but curl his lips up every time he said 'Dad'.

"Hey, I'm going to go upstairs and check on Rory. She's been asleep for a while." He got up from his chair and started to walk upstairs before turning back toward Jordan. "Do you mind not saying anything about who you are to the kids just yet? I want to talk to Rory before we tell them, plus I think we should do it together. Just give me an hour or so?"

"No problem. I understand." Jordan responded.

Jess nodded and continued up the stairs and carefully opened the master bedroom door. He noticed Rory still sleeping in bed and quietly went over to her. He took off his shoes and jeans before slowly sliding under the covers next to her. He slowly moved closer to her and pulled her into his embrace. Feeling his presence, Rory sighed and slowly opened her eyes.

"mmm… You're back." She said softly.

"Yeah, I've been back for a while. I figured out what I'd like to do with Jordan. We actually talked about it just now." Jess explained.

Rory turned to look up at him. "And what did you decide?"

"I'm going to be a dad. I want to have a relationship with him and get to know him as well as I know our kids. I'd really like it if he could be part of our family. It's the right thing to do and it's what I want to do." Jess explained.

"What did Jordan say to all that?" She asked.

"He seemed to be receptive to the idea. He said he was really hoping to get to know everyone and have a relationship with us all."

"Good. He seems like a pretty good kid." Rory noted.

"Yeah, he does. Fortunately, he isn't at all like I was at his age." Jess smirked.

"Definitely not a chip off the old block in that aspect." Rory joked. "There's all ways time to rub off on him."

"ugh, I hope not. I really don't want to deal with that. Looking back on things, I have a strong appreciation for Luke after all the crap I put him through." Jess stated while running his hands through Rory's hair.

"You know you're not out of the woods yet on that." Rory said. "We have five kids who may exhibit 'teenage Jess' like behavior at some point in their lives."

"Let's hope we dodge a bullet there."

"Well, if we don't, you're totally dealing with it. I'm sitting that one out." Rory said somewhat seriously.

"What? You can't 'sit that one out'." Jess scoffed.

"Um, I think I have a right to pass that duty off to you."

"What makes you think that?" Jess questioned.

"I gave birth to them. That's a lot of hours in labor, honey." She said while patting his chest.

Jess sighed knowing he wasn't going to win this one. "Ok, fine. If they act like 'teenage Jess', as you put it, then I'll deal with them." He said.

"Good." Rory smiled.

Jess smirked at her. "He called me 'Dad'" He blurted out.

"Jordan did? Really?" Rory said.

"Yeah, it felt really good. Like we're making some really good progress."

"That's really great Jess. I'm so happy this is working out." Rory said while smiling at him.

"Me too." He paused before continuing. "Rory, I think we should talk to the kids about Jordan. I think they deserve to know who he really is."

"You're right. Let's go talk to them before this goes any further. They should be a part of this process too." Rory said.

"Ok, want to do it right now?" Jess questioned.

"Sure. Let's go." Rory said as she rolled over and sat up. They both got out of bed and made their way downstairs. They gathered the kids and sat everyone down in the living room. Luke and Lorelai took Jack and Will with them to the grocery to get supplies for dinner, leaving the Mariano's to have a private family discussion.

As they sat down, Jess looked around at everyone before beginning. "Ok, so everyone met Jordan earlier, right?" He began as they all nodded. Rory held his hand and gave it a squeeze to encourage him to go on. "Well, there is something you need to know about him."

"He's your friend. Mom told us earlier." Alex stated.

"Yes, that's correct, but he's more than a friend." Jess hesitated for a moment while the kids looked at him for further explanation. "He's actually my son." He finally spit out.

"What?" Janie asked. "What do you mean? He's our brother? How?"

"Yeah. Janie's the oldest. Jordan looks older than her." Drew added.

As Jess was trying to formulate an answer Rory stepped in with an answer. "Well, Jordan was born when you Dad lived in New York. It was before he and I met and before all of you were born. You see, Jordan's mommy didn't tell your Daddy about Jordan, so your Daddy didn't know about him until he came to visit us."

"So Jordan has a different mommy?" Nick asked.

"Yeah." Jess nodded. The kids looked between their mom and dad and Jordan for a few minutes. No one said anything until Danny finally broke the silence.

"Jordan's our big brother?" He asked.

"He sure is." Rory answered.

"Cool. Now we can play together all the time!" Danny said enthusiastically. He got up and quickly went over to Jordan to give him a hug. Jordan was a little taken aback, but embraced his little brother.

"How come you didn't come visit us before?" Danny asked him.

"I didn't know where you lived. It took me a while to figure out where to find you." Jordan tried to explain.

"Oh, well, you know now, so you should come visit all the time." Danny said.

"I plan to." Jordan said while smiling at the little boy.

Nick went over to Danny and Jordan before grabbing Jordan's hand and attempting to pull him off the couch. "Come play upstairs with us. We have Legos. Do you like to play with Legos?"

"It's been a long time since I've played with Legos, but I think that sounds like fun." Jordan said while moving Danny off his lap and getting up. He followed the two little boys up the stairs as they led the way.

Rory and Jess looked at Drew, Alex, and Janie and hoped they were going to be ok with the situation. "So, what do the three of you think?" Rory finally asked them.

"It's cool, I guess." Drew said.

"Yeah, it's cool." Alex smiled. "I like him."

"Good, because you're stuck with him." Jess joked. "You can go join them upstairs if you want. You don't have to stay here." The two boys quickly jumped upstairs to join their brothers.

"You ok with this Janie?" Jess asked his daughter. "You've been pretty quiet. What's on your mind."

"I'm still processing." She said. "I like Jordan, he's cool. It's kind of weird that I'm not the oldest anymore. That's going to take some getting used to."

"Yes, it is." Jess responded. "If it helps, I'm still getting used to it as well."

"Yeah, it's cool. I just need to get used to it. Is he going to live here?" She asked.

"Some of the time. He lives with his grandparents in San Francisco, so he's going to go back there for school. We'll talk on the phone and he'll come visit us on breaks and we'll go visit him."

"Ok. That's good. I think I'll like having Jordan as a brother." She said.

"Good. Remember, you can ask your mom and I any questions you want about all this. We're open to questions whenever you have them, ok?"

"I know." She said. "I'm going to go upstairs and see what's going on." She said while getting up and going up the stairs.

After she'd left, Rory turned to Jess. "That went pretty well. Seems like they're all going to get along well."

"It seems like it." Jess said while putting his arm around his wife and giving her a quick kiss. "Thanks for your support Rory. I couldn't do this without you."

She kissed him before responding with a "you're welcome" and pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

"Hey!" Lorelai said while throwing the front door open. She quickly realized what she'd walked in on as Jess and Rory quickly split apart and sat on opposite ends of the couch like teenager's who'd been caught making out.

"Oh, sorry." Lorelai said before remembering a similar scene from years ago. "I'm having a moment of déjà vu here."

"So am I." Rory said. "At least this time Luke doesn't have to keep coming upstairs every ten minutes to interrupt us." She joked as Luke and the boys walked in and set grocery bags down.

"That was a lot of work." Luke said. "Thank God I don't have to do that anymore."

"Yeah, well just wait a few more years and you'll be doing it again." Jess pointed out.

"No he won't." Lorelai said while brushing her hands through Will's hair. "They're going to both be little boys forever." To which each boy frowned.

"Can we go play with Jordan?" Will asked.

"Go ahead." Luke said. The boys ran upstairs to join the rest of the kids.

"We told them who Jordan really is." Luke said. "I hope that's ok."

"It's good, actually. Two less people I have to tell." Jess said. "We just finished telling our kids. It went pretty well, so that's good."

"Jack and Will were pretty cute about it." Lorelai remarked. "They insist that since Jordan is their Niece and Newphews' brother that he's their nephew now. They seemed to love the idea that a sixteen year old is their nephew."

"Good thing Jordan seems to be easy going." Rory said. "I'm sure he'll have a evening full of calling them 'Uncle Jack' and 'Uncle Will'."

Jess sighed and shook his head. "I swear this family should be a TV show. No one would ever believe the stuff that happens here."

Everyone laughed and picked up the grocery sacks. They carried them into the kitchen and started unpacking everything while joking about various things the kids had done that afternoon.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I'm sure by now you all know I like to keep the timeline moving along in this story. So, there's going to be a big time jump in this chapter. It's something several of you asked for, so here you go…**

The rest of the week passed by quickly for the Mariano and Danes families. They spent days playing in the backyard and at the beach. Jordan seemed to be enjoying his time with them and getting to know his newly found family better. By the end of the week, everyone was sad to see Jordan leave. Jess drove him to the airport and promised to visit him soon.

A few days later, the Danes family packed their bags and prepared to make the trip back to Connecticut. Numerous hugs and kisses were exchanged between everyone before Jess and Luke loaded the bags into the car. Rory and Lorelai stood on the porch tightly embracing each other until Jess quietly walked up to Rory and put his hand on her back.

"Rory, I'm sorry, but we really need to get going." Jess said.

Lorelai and Rory slowly broke apart and wiped their tears. "I hate this." Lorelai said.

"I know, but we'll see each other again soon. We're looking into visiting Stars Hollow at Christmas, so that's not too far away." Rory said in an attempt to comfort her mother.

"Yes it is." Lorelai whined. She pouted for a moment before giving Rory and quick hug and grabbing her purse off the porch steps. Rory walked with her to the car and waved as Jess drove the Danes family out of the driveway and down the street.

Rory turned to the kids who had joined her in waving goodbye.

"Mommy, are we really going to Stars Crorow?" Nick asked as Rory chuckled as his mistake.

"Stars _Hollow_. Dad and I are looking into all of us going there for Christmas. It's not for sure, so we'll see." She explained while reaching down to hold the boys hand. He put his hand in hers and followed as she led everyone back into the house. They all went about various activities until Jess came home a while later. He found Rory upstairs in the office organizing some paperwork. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed. "Hey" he finally said.

"Hey" she responded while covering his arms with hers. "I assume Mom, Luke, Jack, and Will made it to the airport ok?"

"Yeah. I dropped them off and they seemed to be fine. Lorelai said she'd call you when they landed." Jess answered while kissing her neck.

Rory turned to face him and continued the kissing while pulling him out of the room and down the hall to their bedroom. "That gives us plenty of time then." She said while smirking as he closed and locked the door behind them.

The dark SUV rolled up the snow covered driveway as Lorelai came bursting out of the house. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Rory jumped out of the passenger seat and wrapped her arms around her mother with such force that they both fell to the ground. The giggled as Jess walked around the front of the car and offered a hand to help them up. No sooner were they both standing than Janie ran into Lorelai practically knocking her down again.

"Whoa, easy there kiddo. Granny doesn't want to break a hip." She joked. Janie smiled at her and Lorelai gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"It's really good to see you." She said. "I tried to convince your parents that I should come pick you all up at the airport, but of course they wouldn't let me." She said like a child.

"In what vehicle would you have picked us up?" Rory questioned. "Luke's truck? We needed to rent an SUV mom."

"I guess." Lorelai huffed.

Jess and Rory quickly helped the boys out of the car and they each took a turn greeting their grandmother. Lorelai led the group into the house where Luke, Jack, and Will were waiting. They all greeted each other and enjoyed spending the night catching up after several months apart. Danny, Nick, and Alex quickly fell asleep on the couch after a long day of traveling. Luke and Jess set up some air mattresses and sleeping bags for the Danes and Mariano boys to have a camp out in the living room. Lorelai and Rory helped Janie get settled into Jack and Will's room before Rory and Jess finally settled into Rory's old bedroom.

"This is so weird." Rory said as they lay in bed together.

"What do you mean?" Jess questioned.

"You and me sleeping together in this room." She pointed out. "If mom would have caught you in here back in high school she would have killed you."

"I think Luke still wants to kill me." Jess added. "Did you see the look he gave me when you were shutting the bedroom door? Geeze. We've been married for twelve years you'd think he'd back off a little." He scoffed.

"Well, I am the princess of Stars Hollow you know. I'm sure the whole town would have strung you up in the town square if we would have stayed here after I got pregnant with Janie." She said while running her hand through Jess' hair.

"I wouldn't put it past them." He remarked. He thought for a moment before asking, "Where was everyone tonight? I thought for sure the whole town would have been here attacking us."

"I think Mom and Luke told them to back off for the night. Mom hinted at some sort of party or something, so I'm sure we'll be bombarded in no time." She answered. "Hey, you remembered to warn Jordan, right?"

"Yes, I told him all about Stars Hollow and everyone here. I think he's pretty well prepared. Plus, I'm sure whatever you told him helped."

"He seemed a little skeptical, so just give him another heads up when you pick him up from the airport tomorrow." Rory said as she snuggled closer to Jess and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Jess. I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He said before kissing the top of her head and closing his eyes.

The next morning, Jess woke up early and drove to the airport to pick up Jordan. Since Jordan's appearance that summer, Jess had worked hard to build a relationship with his son. They talked just about every day and had spent several weekends visiting each other. To Jess' delight, Rory and the kids had formed a pretty tight bond with him as well. Jess felt extremely blessed to have such a wonderful family.

A little while later Jess and Jordan made their way back to Stars Hollow over snow covered roads. Jess marveled at how talkative Jordan was compared to himself at that age. By the time they reached The Crap Shack, Jess was completely up to speed on Jordan's recent activities.

"Well, here we are." Jess said while stopping the vehicle. "No turning back now." He joked while getting out of the car. As Jess was helping Jordan get his bags from the trunk, Babette came running out of her house and nearly slid down the walkway.

"Jess!" She yelled at him. "Jess, how are you? I've been trying to say 'hi' to your family all day, but no one will answer to door!" She said a bit out of breath. "You look good hun. Is this your oldest?" She said while pointing to Jordan. "Lorelai told me about him. Imagine that, a kid coming out of the blue like that. Must have really thrown you for a loop. How's Rory taking it?"

"It's all good Babette." He was finally able to get in. He looked at Jordan before introducing him to Babette. "Babette this is my son, Jordan. Jordan, this is Luke and Lorelai's neighbor Babette."

Jordan shook her hand while saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you Babette."

"You too Doll. Lorelai didn't tell me you were so handsome!" She exclaimed as he blushed slightly.

"Well, it's cold out here and I'm sure everyone's anxious to see Jordan, so we better be getting inside. It was nice to see you again Babette." Jess said as he grabbed Jordan's back and walked toward the house.

"You too sugar! Tell Rory to stop by soon!" She said while waving and going back to her house.

Jess quickly opened the front door to Luke and Lorelai's house and ushered Jordan inside. He sighed and slumped his shoulders as they walked into the kitchen.

"You get attached by Babette?" Luke asked. Jess nodded in response before getting two coffee cups from the cabinet and pouring a cup for himself and Jordan.

"Jordan, great to see you again." Luke said while shaking the young man's hand enthusiastically.

"You too Luke. We passed the dinner on the way through town. I'm looking forward to a Luke's burger sometime soon. I hear it's the best burger on the eastern seaboard." He remarked.

"I don't know about that, but stop by sometime and I'll let you have one on the house."

"Thanks Luke, I'll do that." Jordan remarked as Rory entered the kitchen and noticed Jess holding two cups of coffee.

"I sure hope one of those is for me." She said.

A brief moment of panic passed over Jess before he explained. "Actually, no, but you can have mine. I'll get another cup."

"Aw, thanks. What a wonderful husband. Giving me his coffee." Rory joked before taking the cup, setting it on the table, and turning to Jordan. "Jordan. It's really great to see you." She said as she reached up to give him a hug. "You've gotten taller since I saw you two months ago. What are your grandparents feeding you?"

"It's good to see you too Rory." He said. "I think they must be slipping growth hormone into my food or something. My grandpa dreamed of me being a professional basketball player, so he must be slipping stuff into the food." He joked with her.

"Jordan!" Lorelai said in a sing song voice as she entered the kitchen. "Have you forgotten your favorite step grandma/great aunt already? I expected you to come leaping up the stairs in search of me." She joked while giving him a hug.

"My apologies." He said while bowing and pretending to tip a hat to her.

"Well I do declare." She said in a southern accent. "I do believe we have a southern gentleman in the house. How marvelous. Someone raised you right." She joked as the Mariano and Danes children bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen to great their brother and nephew.

After several minutes of greetings and exchanging stories, the kids dragged Jordan outside to play in the snow.

"That one really nice thing about having Jordan around now. I don't get dragged outside to play in the freezing cold snow." Luke remarked.

"Oh come on Lukey. You know you love building snowmen and forts for snowball fights with Jack and Will." Lorelai said. "I've watched you out there with them. You have just as much fun as they do."

"Speaking of Jack, are you throwing a party for his birthday on Saturday?" Rory asked.

"Of course." Lorelai responded. "It's going to be a patented Gilmore birthday with all the bells and whistles. Turning nine is a big deal around here."

"It's a pirate theme." Luke said. "How are we supposed to do that in the middle of winter?"

"The same way pirates in the arctic circle did it." Lorelai said matter of factly. "We're going to put on big coats and drink hot coco."

"And hot buttered rum for the adults?" Jess questioned.

"Of course." Lorelai said. "Jack's really excited that you're all here for his birthday. Thanks so much for making the trip a little early."

"It's no trouble." Jess answered.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to miss my little brother's ninth birthday." Rory responded. "I'm sure it's going to be a great party, hopefully everyone can get here with all this snow. Speaking of which, isn't this more snow than usual for this time of year? I don't remember it being this bad."

"It hasn't been in a long time." Lorelai remarked. "Actually I think it hasn't been this bad since Jack was born."

"Ugh. That was a nightmare." Luke said. "We barely made it to the hospital. I was so scared he was going to be born on the highway." He remembered.

Jess chuckled picturing a terrified Luke driving Lorelai to the hospital. "Thank God we never had snow in LA when the kids were born." He said to Rory.

"Yes, but we did encounter a massive traffic jam when Alex was born." She reminded him. She turned to Lorelai and Luke before briefly recounting the event. "First of all, Sasha and Jimmy took what seemed like forever to get to our place to watch Janie and Drew. Then, we get on the freeway and got stuck in traffic. We were stuck there for two hours! We made it to the hospital, but it was horrible. At one point, I thought Jess was going to pass out if we didn't get there soon." She recounted.

"That was horrible. I think I even tried to wave down an ambulance at one point." He recalled. "I so didn't want to have our baby born on the side of the freeway like you see on the news sometimes."

They all chuckled and continued to tell stories until someone began knocking loudly at the front door. Luke went to answer it and rolled his eyes when he saw it was Babette. He let her in know she wouldn't go away until she got it. Babette quickly went into the kitchen and pulled Rory into a very tight hug.

"It's so good to see you, sugar!" She said. After a minute they broke apart and Babette looked at Rory with tears in her eyes. "You're all grown up Doll. I can't believe it. Where are those kids of yours? Lorelai's been telling me all about 'em."

"They're outside playing. I'll introduce you." Jess said. Rory mouthed a silent thank you as Jess ushered Babette out. Rory certainly loved Babette, but she could be a bit much sometimes.

Lorelai looked at Luke who took the hint and quietly went to check on the kids outside. Lorelai turned to Rory and suddenly got very serious.

"So, I need to talk to you about something Rory."

"What is it? Is everything ok?" Rory asked concerned.

"Actually, maybe you should listen to this." Lorelai said while going over to the answering machine and pressing play. They both stared at the machine as Lorelai braced for Rory's reaction to the message playing.

"Hey Lore. It's Chris. I talked to my mom the other day and she said she saw Emily at the club recently. Emily mentioned a trip to California to visit Rory and that Rory was coming out here for Christmas. It sounds like you're all back together again, so I was hoping to stop by and see our girl. Give me a call and let me know what day is good. Talk to you soon!" The machine beeped while Rory stood there speechless. Lorelai could see a mix of anger and confusion on her face.

"What are you thinking, kid?" She asked.

"I don't know what to say." Rory said in disbelief. "I mean, who does he think he is? He basically disowned me twelve years ago and now he acts like nothing happened? I can't believe this!" She said while throwing her hands up in frustration.

Lorelai reached out and put her hands on Rory's shoulders. She looked her in the eyes and said, "You don't have to do anything Rory. I know he hurt you really bad and there's no excuse for that. Do you want me to call him and tell him to stay away?"

Rory sighed and tried to figure out what to do. "I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't really want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me. I really don't want him to see the kids. I don't think he deserves that after what he did. On the other hand, he is their grandfather and I don't want to deprive them of a good relationship with him. I need to think about this for a while."

"I understand." Lorelai nodded. "You know I'll support you either way, so just think about it and do what feels right for you."

"Thanks mom." Rory said as she hugged her. "This couldn't just be a nice relaxing trip, could it?"

"Nope. I think we're beyond the point of having anything be simple and relaxing." Lorelai said as they both walked back into the kitchen. They went over to the window and laughed at the sight of the kids having a snowball fight against Jordan, Jess, and Luke.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

"I think it's time to go into town." Lorelai said while looking at the clock.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Jess asked her.

"Ugh. I guess I can't keep it a secret forever." She sighed. "The town is throwing a surprise party for your family at Miss Patty's in about fifteen minutes."

"I kind of figured that was coming." Jess admitted. "Let's round everyone up." He said while getting up from the couch and going upstairs.

Minutes later, the Danes and Mariano families walked through the snow toward Miss Patty's dance studio. As they approached, they were surprised to see that they party had been moved from the dance studio to the town square. There were so many people that it looked like the annual firelight festival. The town residents had even set up various games and food stands for the event. A large banner in hung over the gazebo with the words "Welcome Mariano Family" painted on it.

"Wow. Looks like they went all out." Rory commented as they approached. The crowd of people gathered noticed the guests of honor approaching and starting to cheer. Everyone greeted them enthusiastically and took turns hugging each family member.

"Jess! Jess, over here!" Liz shouted through the crowd. She pushed her way through and quickly pulled him off to the side. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. She looked up at him as they broke apart and marveled at how much he had changed since the last time she saw him. "Look at you. You're a man now."

"Well, I am thirty-one years old, so I guess that makes sense." He said. "It's good to see you Liz."

"It's been way too long." She noted. "So, Luke tells me you and your wife have quite the brood. I really want to meet them all, but first you gotta meet TJ and Doula." She said while grabbing his arm and pulling him over to where TJ and Doula stood by the cotton candy cart.

"Jess, this is my TJ." She said. "TJ, this is my boy, Jess."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jess. Liz's told me all about you, so I feel like I already know you." TJ explained and he pulled Jess into an awkward hug. Jess pulled away after a moment and looked down at the little girl standing next to Liz. He smirked as he noticed how much she looked like her mother.

"Jess this is your little sister, Doula." Liz said. "Doula, this is your big brother Jess. Remember all the stories we told you about Jess?" She asked as the little girl nodded and looked up at her brother. She suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his legs, catching Jess off guard. He smiled and reached down to give her a hug.

"So, Jess, Liz was telling me you have a big family. Where are they?" TJ asked.

"Somewhere in that crowd." Jess said while pointing to the large crowd of people. "I'll see if I can get them loose." He said as he moved toward the crowd. He spotted Janie breaking free from the group of people and went over to her.

"This is a bit much." She said to her Dad.

"Welcome to Stars Hollow." He remarked while linking arms with her. "Come over here for a second. I want you to meet your Grandma Liz." Jess quickly ushered her over and introduced her to Liz, TJ, and Doula.

The crowd finally dispersed enough to let Rory and the rest of the kids free. Jess quickly introduced them to Liz, TJ, and Doula who were thrilled to finally meet the whole family. Rory and Janie left the boys with Jess and wandered around the square until they ran into Lane.

"Lane!" Rory exclaimed while giving her a big hug.

"Rory! I've been looking for you for like half an hour. This place is crazy!" Lane said. "It's so good to see you, it's been forever."

"I know. We need to have a serious coffee date and catch up. I want to hear all about your life." Rory insisted before putting her arm around Janie's shoulders and pulling her closer to Lane. "Lane, I want you to meet my daughter, Janie. Janie, this is Lane, my best friend from Stars Hollow."

"It's really nice to meet you Janie." Lane said. "If you ever want to hear some good blackmail stories about your mom, just come to me. I've got some good stuff on her. I've also got some pretty good stories about the pranks your dad used to pull." Lane offered.

"Really?" Janie said while raising an eyebrow. "I may take you up on that Lane."

"Hey now, don't be telling her anything bad. I don't want her thinking her dad and I were big trouble makers. That was just her dad." Rory joked as Zack and two little boys walked up to Lane.

"Hey babe. Got you a snow cone." Zack said while handing it to her.

"Rory, you remember Zack, right?" Lane asked.

"Zack from your band? Yeah, I remember. Nice to see you again Zack." Rory said while shaking his hand.

"Good to see you too Rory. The town's been obsessed with you for like the past three weeks, so all I've heard about is you and your family. Nice to finally see you again. This is your daughter, right?" He asked.

"Yes, this is Janie." Rory introduced them.

"Zack and I are married actually." Lane interjected to Rory's surprise. "These are our sons." Lane said while pushing the boys forward a little.

"Wow. You're married and have two little boys. That's great Lane!" Rory said while giving Lane another hug.

"It's pretty great." Lane said. "Kwon and Steve just turned seven, so we have a busy life, but it's really great."

"I'm so happy for you Lane." Rory responded. "I know what you mean about being busy. Jess and I have five kids plus Jess' son, so we're always on the go. It's crazy, but really good."

"That what I hear." Lane said. "Well, it looks like Miss Patty and Babette are about to smother Jess over there, so we should probably let you go. It was really good to see you Rory. I'll figure out a time to have coffee and get back to you." She said while allowing Rory and Janie to walk over toward Jess and the boys.

"Rory, sugar. These kids of yours are so damn cute!" Babette exclaimed. "I just want to squeeze 'em!"

"They're adorable Rory." Miss Patty said. "Your oldest boy is quite handsome. He doesn't have a girlfriend does he?" Patty mused.

"Whoa there Patty. He's sixteen." Rory said.

"Exactly." Patty said before walking away.

Rory looked at Janie before she said, "Better go warn your brother."

"He'll be fine." She said while shrugging. Janie spotted Lorelai over at the cotton candy booth and went over to her as Rory watched her walk away.

"What's gotten into her?" Jess asked.

"I'm not sure." Rory frowned. "She's been a little off since we got here, but maybe she's still tired from traveling."

"I hope so." Jess said. "You mom just told me your grandparents are stopping by sometime tonight. Have you seen them wandering around?"

"No I haven't." Rory said while looking around. "I'm going to walk around a bit. See if I can find them. Will you please watch the boys?"

"Sure. No problem." Jess responded before giving her a quick kiss.

"Be back in a few." Rory said over her shoulder as she left. After several minutes of walking, she saw the lights on at Luke's and decided to go grab a cup of coffee. As she was crossing the street, a tall dark figure stopped her.

"Rory. It's good to see you." He said while ushering her over to the sidewalk. Rory looked at the man be had a hard time figuring out who it was in the dark.

He recognized her confusion and offered an explanation. "It's me Rory, Dean Forrester."

Rory looked at him and suddenly recognized Dean in the man standing before her. He'd grown taller, his body had filled out a bit more, and had a beard. "Oh, Dean. I didn't recognize you with the beard." She finally said.

"Yeah, it's different." Dean said while rubbing his chin. "So, I hear you've been doing well. Sounds like you've got your hands full with all those kids."

"It's a lot, but I love it. They're all great kids and Jess is an awesome father, so yeah, it's really good." She responded. "What about you? How are you? Last time we talked you and Lindsey were getting married. How is Lindsey?"

Dean seemed to flinch a little at the use of Lindey's name. Rory wondered what the deal was, but Dean quickly answered.

"Actually, Lindsey and I aren't together anymore."

"Oh, Dean, I'm sorry. I had no idea." Rory apologized.

"It's fine. We've been divorced for a while, so it's nothing new. We were married about a year before we both decided it wasn't going to work. We tried to make it work, but we both wanted different things in life, so we went our separate ways. I don't talk to her often, but last I heard she was remarried and living up in Maine somewhere." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry Dean. That must have been hard."

"It was, but its ok now. I'm actually doing really well now. I've been working for Tom, doing construction work. I went to a community college and got a business degree, so I've been helping with some of the administrative stuff too. In fact, Tom and I just worked out a deal for me to eventually buy the company from him." Dean said with pride.

"Wow Dean! That's really great. Good for you." Rory said with genuine happiness for him. "Hey, I was just going to grab a cup of coffee at Luke's. Let me buy you a cup."

Dean looked around for a moment before agreeing and following her into Luke's. They spent the next several minutes chatting about various things and events that had happened in their lives over the last few years.

Lorelai entered the diner and walked over to where the two were sitting. "Hi Dean." She said. "Rory, your grandparents just called. They're not going to make it tonight, but they promised to come visit tomorrow afternoon."

"Ok. It's probably just as well. They shouldn't be out at night driving in the snow."

"My thoughts exactly." Lorelai concurred. "Dean, I hope you don't mind, but I've got to steal Rory away. It's getting late and the kids are all cold so we need to head home."

"No no go ahead and get home." He replied. "I'll catch you again some other time Rory."

"It was nice seeing you again Dean. Take care." She waved while leaving with Lorelai.

They headed toward the kids who were all gathered together in the square. As they walked, Rory asked Lorelai about Dean. "So, what's the real deal with him?"

"I'm sure he probably told you the truth, but put a more positive spin on it all. I don't really think he's over the divorce yet. I don't see him much, but he's always alone or working when I do see him. He lives alone from what I hear and he hasn't really dated anyone since Lindsey." She explained.

"Yeah, I got the whole, lonely divorced man vibe from him. There was something else weird with him too, but I couldn't quite figure it out." Rory stated as they approached the kids.

"Can we go now?" Will asked Lorelai. "I'm cold."

"Yes, we can go home. Is everyone ready to go?" She responded while reaching out to hold the little boy's hand.

Jess and Luke looked around to make sure they all had everything as they started to walk home. After several minutes of walking, they reached the Crap Shack and started up the stairs. As Luke was opening the door, a figure came out of the shadows and started up the porch steps. Luke noticed Christopher step into the light and ushered the kids inside while turning to face Chris. Lorelai followed the kids inside and took them into the kitchen to shield them from the fight she knew was about to occur.

"Christopher. What do you want?" Luke said while stepping closer to him.

Christopher grimaced at the sight of Luke and turned to face Rory. "Rory, I just wanted to see you. I heard you were here and I thought I'd stop by. I'm sorry it's late, but no one's been answering my calls, so I just dropped by."

Jess stepped between Rory and Christopher before crossing his arms. "Get the hell out of here. You don't get to see her."

"Excuse me?" He scoffed. "Just who do you think you are that you can keep me from my daughter?"

"I'm her husband." Jess stated to Christopher's surprise. "I don't like how you treated my wife. I think I get to protect her from people who hurt her."

"Well, I'm her father. I get to see her if I want to." Chris said while become angry. He reached out and shoved Jess aside. Rory's eyes widened as Jess instantly regained his balance and threw a punch at her father. Christopher fell backward as Jess moved to hit him again before Luke grabbed his arm and tried to calm him down.

"Dad, I think you should leave." Rory stated.

Christopher touched his jaw and flinched at the sight of blood on his fingers. "Why? Because your husband controls what you do and who you see?" He scoffed.

"He doesn't control me. If you knew us at all you'd know that. You know what? I'm done. That's it. Get out. You can't just come back here and pretend like nothing ever happened. You chose not to have a relationship with me years ago. You have to live with that now." She said as tears ran down her face.

Christopher got off the ground at looked at Rory before marching down the driveway and to his car parked on the street. He quickly drove off leaving a stunned Luke, Rory, and Jess behind. Rory started to softly cry as Jess wrapped his arms around her. "It's ok. He's gone. He can't hurt you." He said trying to sooth her. Luke looked at Jess before sitting down on the porch steps. He rubbed his face before standing back up and walking into the house.

A few minutes later, Rory pulled away from Jess and wiped her eyes. "Thank you Jess." She said.

"There's no need to thank me. I hate how he does crap like that to you. I just want to make sure he doesn't get away with it."

She nodded before taking a deep breath and saying. "Ok, he's gone. Let's go inside and go to bed. I'm exhausted."

He nodded and followed her inside for the night.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Please Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Rory woke up early the next morning and quietly let herself out of the house after leaving a note for Jess. She quickly walked through town and entered Luke's. She took a set at the counter before Luke went over to greet her.

"Hey Rory." He said while pouring her a cup of coffee. "You're up early today"

"I couldn't sleep anymore and I really needed some coffee." She explained.

Luke looked at her before asking, "Is everything alright Rory?"

"It's fine. I'm just thinking about my Dad." She said.

"oh, well, if you want to talk about it or something, you know I'm always here." Luke said while looking down and wiping off the counter.

"Thanks Luke. I'm just struggling with whether or not I want him involved with the kids. I don't really want him in my life, but I feel bad keeping him away from the kids."

"That makes sense. I can't decide that for you, but I think deep down you know what's right for you." Luke responded.

"I know." She thought for a moment before saying, "You're sounding an awful lot like Mom, you know?"

Luke huffed in disbelief before going over to the doughnut case, picking up a chocolate doughnut, and setting it down in front of Rory. She smiled and took a bite as Dean took a seat next to her.

"Good morning Rory." Dean said as Luke came over to take his order. "Just coffee to go, Luke."

Luke poured the coffee and set it down in front of Dean just as Rory was finishing her doughnut and coffee. "Thanks Luke, I'd better get going." She said while getting up. Luke nodded and waved as she left. Dean quickly paid for his coffee and left to catch up with Rory.

"Hey Rory!" He shouted. She stopped and turned as he caught up with her. "Can we go somewhere and talk privately?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" She questioned while wondering what he wanted to talk about.

"Well, my place is just around the corner. Is that ok?"

"Um, sure." She said hesitantly while following him to his house.

Once they reached the house, Dean led her into the living room and motioned for her to sit on the couch. He sat next to her and turned to face her. "So, um." He started but stopped before really saying anything.

Rory looked at him in confusion. "Dean, what is?"

He sighed before finally saying what was on his mind. "This is kind of difficult for me to say, so I'm just going to spit it out."

Rory nodded for him to continue.

"I've spent a lot of time thinking about what would make me happy. After the divorce, I was kind of a mess. I was really unhappy for a long time. So, I finally sat down and thought about what I wanted my life to be like. More specifically, I thought about who I wanted that life to be with." He looked at Rory who was still trying to figure out what Dean was saying. "Rory, I realized something. I realized that I still love you. I've been in love with you since we started dating all those years ago."

Rory looked at Dean with wide eyes and tried to speak but her mouth had gone dry.

Dean mistakenly took it as a sign for him to continue. "Rory, I know you're not happy with your life right now. You say you are, but I don't think so. You're only with Jess because you got pregnant. If it hadn't been for that you two would have broken up and we'd be together again. You know it's true Rory. We're meant to be together." Dean finished and leaned closer to her. Rory was sitting there in stunned silence while Dean wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard.

Rory suddenly jerked her head backward and exclaimed, "Dean! No!"

"Don't fight it Rory, you know you want this." He said while kissing her again and lowering her down on the couch. Rory suddenly rolled out from underneath him and slapped him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm married, Dean. I'm madly in love with my husband and we have five beautiful children. I do not love you. Did you really think I was the kind of woman who has an affair with an old boyfriend? Did you honestly think I'd just leave Jess and the kids? If so, you're sorely mistaken, because I most certainly am not that kind of woman." She spat out at him while he sat there stunned at her behavior.

Rory walked around the couch and to the door before saying, "Stay away from me and my family Dean. If you come near us I'll personally kick your ass." She slammed the door and ran away from the house before Dean could react. He sat on the couch and hung his head realizing that he had made a huge mistake.

Minutes later, Rory quickly walked through the front door of the Crap Shack and quietly entered her old bedroom. She took off her shoes and coat, throwing them to the floor, before sitting on the edge of the bed and sighing. Jess rolled over in bed and looked at her.

"You're up early." He said.

"I should have just stayed in bed." She admitted. "It's been a crappy morning so far."

"What happened?" Jess said while propping himself up on his elbow.

"I went to Luke's for coffee, which was good until Dean showed up. I finished my coffee and left, but he tracked me down and said he wanted to talk. He suggested we talk privately at his house since it was close. I agreed and we were sitting in his living talking when he suddenly goes into this rant about how he's still in love with me and how he wants me to leave you and the kids and run away with him." Rory paused and turned to look at Jess who was looking at her with wide eyes. "I was completely shocked and the next thing I know he's kissing me and lowering me down on the couch." Jess sat up in bed and looked at her for further explanation. "After my head caught up to my body, I rolled off the couch and slapped him. I told him to stay away from us or I'd kick his ass." She finished.

Jess practically jumped out of bed and began to get dressed. "That asshole. I'm so going to kill him."

"Jess, wait. I've already taken care of it. It's fine." Rory said but Jess didn't listen and quickly stormed out of the house in a rage.

As Jess stomped toward town with fire in his eyes, he realized he didn't know where Dean's house was. He walked into the dinner and found Luke at the counter going through the morning's receipts. "Where's Dean's house." Jess practically barked at him. Luke was a bit taken aback by Jess' enraged appearance and tone of voice, but he thought it wasn't the best time to argue with him. He quickly gave Jess directions and watched him stomp out of the diner.

Once Jess reached the house, he pounded on the front door. Dean opened it and was met with Jess' fist. He fell backward as Jess said, "You stay the hell away from my wife! I'll kill you if you come near her again!" He shook his fist as it began to hurt and marched back down the stairs. He quickly walked over to Luke's, went inside, and sat down at the counter. He exhaled deeply before Luke walked over and looked at him.

"What's going on Jess?" Luke asked while looking at him strangely.

Jess put his head in his hand before saying, "Dean kissed Rory after they left the diner earlier."

Luke's face turned red as he said, "He did what?"

"He told her he was still in love with her. He basically asked her to leave me and run away with him. Then he kissed her. Rory slapped him and told him to stay away from her. I just went over and punched his lights out." Jess blurted out.

"I'm going to kill him!" Luke said while storming out of the diner. He raced over to Dean's house and promptly punched him when he answered the door. "You stay away from her!" He yelled as Dean stumbled back and threw the door closed.

Luke stomped back to the diner and walked up to Jess. He exhaled and put his hand on Jess' shoulder. "Are you ok?" He asked.

"I'm fine. Just pissed at that guy." He admitted. "Rory seems to have handled it really well. Speaking of which, I should probably get back. I kind of left quickly. Rory's probably wondering where I am." Jess said while getting up and walking out.

Luke sighed and picked up a rag to wipe down the counter.

Jess entered Rory's old bedroom and quietly took off his coat and shoes. He noticed Rory in bed and slowly pulled the covers back before sliding in next to her. He snuggled up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Are you sleeping?" Jess whispered into her ear.

"No." She responded.

"What are you doing then?"

"I tried to go back to sleep and start the day over, but it isn't happening." She complained.

"Are you ok? Did he hurt you?" Jess asked.

"I'm fine. Still a little rattled, but I'm ok. Where did you go to just now?"

"I went over to Dean's and punched him." Jess said plainly.

"Really?" Rory scoffed at him.

"Yup. He won't be bothering you again." Jess assured her.

"Well, thank you, but I think I made him realize that earlier." Rory explained. She sighed and put her hand over his at her waist. "I hate this." She said.

"Hate what?" Jess asked confused.

"I hate how things are always so crazy with us and our family. It's like something always comes up to throw a wrench into the works. Can't we just have a normal calm family life?" She almost begged him.

Jess chuckled lightly. "Rory, no one is normal. Everyone has crazy stuff in their life. We're not the only ones. It does seem like the crazy has been a little out of control lately, but it'll slow down."

"I hope so." She said.

A soft knock at the bedroom door pulled the pair out of their conversation.

"Come in" Rory said.

Lorelai slowly poked her head through the door while covering her eyes with her hand. "Are you two up?" She asked.

"Mom, we're both decent, you can uncover your eyes." Rory laughed while rolling over to face Jess and the bedroom door.

"Well, you never know. I didn't want to be scarred for life." Lorelai explained.

"Geeze, you make it seem like we can't control ourselves." Jess smirked at her.

"I think there's evidence contrary to that. You two do have five kids. You didn't get them from being prudes." She pointed out as Rory scrunched up her face in disgust that her mother was discussing her sex life.

"True." Jess said while leaning over to kiss Rory.

"Ok!" Rory exclaimed while sitting up and getting out of bed. "This is just too freaky. What do you need Mom?"

Lorelai and Jess chuckled at her uneasiness regarding the subject.

"I was just going to let you two know that the kids and I are headed to Luke's if you want to join us." Lorelai explained.

"I think that sounds like a good idea. Good way to have a 'do over' morning." Rory said and grabbed some clothes to change into.

"A 'do over'? What are you talking about Rory?" Lorelai asked confused.

"It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you later." She quickly explained.

"We'll meet you there Lorelai, if you don't mind taking all the kids right now." Jess said.

"It's no trouble. We'll see you in a few." Lorelai said while shutting the door and ushering all the kids out of the house.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. This was a shorter chapter, but I'll update soon. Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

"You really shouldn't be drinking this stuff Jordan." Luke said while refilling his coffee cup.

"Says the man refilling my cup." Jordan joked. Luke starred at him for a moment. "It's cool Luke. I've been drinking coffee for a couple years. My grandparents are coffee junkies, so I inherited it from them. They work a lot, so coffee is a staple around the house." He explained.

"I guess I can't break you of that habit then." Luke admitted. "So, you said your grandparents worked a lot, do they do for a living?"

"My grandfather, Dan, is an attorney. He works for a big law firm in San Francisco. My grandmother, Maggie, is an accountant. She works for a big accounting firm that's also in downtown San Francisco." Jordan explained.

"Wow. That sounds intense." Luke noted.

"Yeah, it can be, but they're cool. They don't really act all stiff and boring like you would think."

"I'd like to meet them sometime. They should make a trip out here sometime." Luke suggested.

"We're originally from New York, so they may be planning a trip soon. I'll make sure Stars Hollow is included if we come out here."

"Good." Luke said while patting him on the back and going to attend to other customers.

"I'm impressed." Lorelai stated. "You're drinking about the same amount of coffee as me."

"Like I said, I'm addicted to the stuff." Jordan said while raising his mug to her and taking another sip. "This is really good coffee." He said.

"I know. Best stuff around." Lorelai replied. "You won't find better, so don't even try."

"I don't imagine I would. We've got some pretty awesome coffee in San Francisco, but this stuff rivals the best in the city."

"High praise Mr. San Francisco coffee connoisseur." She said while tipping her own cup and taking a sip.

Jordan nodded and turned to look at what Nick was doing next to him. "What are you doing?" Jordan asked.

"Separating everything. The eggs are touching the pancakes and sausage. I like to eat each thing at a time, not mixed together." The little boy explained.

"Ok, I can understand. It mixes up the taste." Jordan nodded.

"It's weird." Drew said while looking over at his little brother.

"Will does it too!" Nick said in defense of his behavior.

"Will's weird too." Drew said while smirking and continuing to eat his breakfast.

Lorelai looked around the two tables her children and grandchildren were occupying at Luke's. She took another sip of coffee before looking at her watch. She reached into her purse to pull out her cell phone and text Rory to see what was keeping her and Jess. Just as she was about to send the message the bell above the door rang and she looked up. Rory and Jess quickly entered and pulled two chairs up next to Lorelai and greeted everyone.

"Where have you two been?" Lorelai softly scolded. "You said you were on your way when we left."

Rory blushed and looked down. "Well…"

Lorelai looked at her in shock before whispering "Rory! I can't believe you just did that in my house!"

Jess leaned over smirked before saying, "You shouldn't be so surprised Lorelai. After all, you put the idea in our heads before you left."

Lorelai scoffed as Luke walked over and poured Rory and Jess each a cup of coffee before refilling Jordan and Lorelai's cups. "What?" He asked Lorelai he observed the situation. She got up and pulled him away from the table a little before whispering in his ear. Luke's face turned red with anger as Lorelai finished whispering the story. Luke set the coffee pot down on the table so hard that some of it sloshed onto the table. "Jess!" He said loudly while crossing his arms.

"What?" Jess questioned him. "You have nothing to be upset about."

"It's my house." He said.

"I realize that. Again, nothing to be upset about. We didn't damage anything." Jess smirked at him.

"Geeze" Luke said before picking up the coffee pot and walking away. He quickly returned to wipe up the spilled coffee before disappearing again.

"I guess we don't get breakfast." Rory said as he walked away.

"I already had my breakfast." Jess smirked wickedly at her while running his hand up her thigh.

Rory turned red again before hitting his hand away and hissing "Jess!"

Jordan and Janie looked at them with frowns while Lorelai got up from the table and went behind the counter. She walked over to the doughnut case and grabbed two doughnuts. She walked back over to the table and set them down in front of Jess and Rory before sitting down and looked at them.

"There. Now, can we please change the subject? It's making Mommy nauseous." She stated before giving them a fake smile.

"Absolutely." Rory said while breaking off a piece of the doughnut and eating it.

Jordan got up from the table and gathered up a few of the empty plates before walking past Jess and whispering, "You like causing trouble, don't you?"

Jess didn't say anything but smirked at him. Jordan shook his head and carried the plates to the kitchen.

"I'm going to take a walk around town. I'll meet you all back at the house. Call my cell if you need anything." He said while putting on his coat and walking outside.

Jordan wandered around the town square before walking down a side street and to a well worn path through a park. He continued a long until he came to a lake. He walked halfway across a bridge over the lake before brushing off the snow and sitting down. He pulled out his cell phone and noticed he had two missed calls from his grandparents. He wondered why he hadn't heard the phone ring and dialed his grandfather's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Dan, his grandfather, answered.

"Hey Grandpa. Sorry I missed your call; I didn't hear the phone ring." He said.

"No worries Jordan." Dan said. "So, how's it going in Stars Hollow?"

"Good so far. The townsfolk are a little nuts at times, but they mean well and really seem to care about the Danes and Marianos, so that's good."

"Good. I'm glad you're having a good time." Dan paused before explaining the real reason for the call. "Jordan, I'm afraid I have some unsettling news."

"Is everything ok with you and Grandma?" He asked as his heart started beat faster.

"Yes, we're fine. It's about your mother. We received a call early this morning from a hospital in Boston. She's there." He explained.

"Is she ok?" Jordan asked automatically.

"No. She's not." Dan said with emotion in his voice. "From what the doctor told me, she came in by ambulance because someone found her passed out on the bathroom floor of a bar. She overdosed on heroin. The doctor did everything he could, but she wasn't breathing when they brought her in." He stopped for moment to clear his throat before finally saying, "Jordan, I'm so sorry, but she didn't make it. They couldn't save her. She died."

Jordan's eyes filled with tears as he clutched the cell phone. He didn't say anything for a long time before his grandmother finally came on the phone.

"Jordan, sweetie, I'm so sorry. We're flying out to Boston tonight. We're going to rent a car and pick you up." She said.

"Um, ok." Jordan said as he wiped his eyes. "I guess I'll talk to you late tonight or early tomorrow. Call me when you get in."

"We will." She sighed. "I'm so sorry I'm not there right now buddy. I'm so sorry this happened."

"There isn't anything anyone can do right now." Jordan said sadly. "I should probably get back to the Danes' house. I'll call you later, ok?"

"Ok, Jordan. Listen, if there is anything you need or anything we can do, don't hesitate to call your grandfather's cell or mine. I love you." She said.

"Love you too." He said before hanging up and staring down at the phone. He sat in silence for a few moments while an emotional storm swirled around his body.

**A/N: Thanks for reading. **


	22. Chapter 22

Jordan walked up the steps to the Crap Shack with his head down. He stood in front of the door for a moment after realizing he didn't have a key. He looked at the door knob with confusion written all over his face while breathing heavier than usual. Suddenly, Rory pulled the door open.

"Jordan! Thank God you're alright! You've been gone for hours. I was getting really worried that something horrible had happened to you. Jess is out looking for you right now." She said before taking in his ghostly appearance. She pulled him forward into the house and yelled, "Mom, grab some blankets! Jordan's back and he looks like he's practically frozen. Luke bring in some coffee or something else warm!"

"Jordan, you don't look too good. What's wrong?" Rory asked with concern in her voice.

"It's my mom." He stated.

"Is she ok?" Rory asked.

"No. She's dead." He said plainly before his eyes filled with tears and Rory reached up and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Jordan, I'm so sorry." She said while trying to sooth the young man. She rubbed his back in an effort to comfort him and warm his freezing body. Lorelai entered with a stack of blankets before stopping in her tracks at the sight of the two. Luke practically ran into her with the cup of coffee, but stopped short as he saw the scene. He looked at Lorelai for an explanation, but she just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

A few minutes later, Rory relaxed her grip on Jordan and ushered him over to the couch to sit. Luke set the coffee down in front of him and noticed how red Jordan's eyes were. He sat down on the coffee table in front of the young man and put his hand on Jordan's knee. At the same time, Lorelai place a few blankets around Jordan and sat next to him on the couch. She saw the look on Luke's face and turned to Jordan. Rory sat on the other side of Jordan and continued to rub his back. She looked sadly at her mother and Luke before explaining quietly. "Jordan's mom died."

No one said anything but looked at Jordan with sympathy in their eyes. Lorelai put her arm around Jordan's shoulders and leaned in to hug him tightly. Luke knew all too well what he was going through and gave Jordan's knee a squeeze before getting up and going into the kitchen. He made up a plate of food and poured another cup of coffee before bringing it to him. He set in down and was about to walk away when Jess came through the front door.

As Jess saw Jordan sitting on the couch he said, "Where the hell have you been Jordan? We were worried sick about you. You can't just disappear like that." Jess spat out before Luke waved his hand to cut him off.

Luke walked over to Jess and quietly said, "Jess calm down. Jordan's mom died."

Jess was shocked at what he heard. He gave Luke a confused look before quickly walking into the living room and sitting down on the coffee table in from of Jordan. He took one look at his son and knew Luke's words were true. He pulled Jordan into a hug as the boy suddenly clutched Jess' shirt and started to sob.

A little while later Jess exited Rory's old bedroom and quietly shut the door. He walked into the living room and sat down next to Rory. She put her arm around his waist as he leaned against her.

"Jordan's asleep in there. I didn't want him to have to spend the night out here with the other boys. He needs some time alone." Jess explained.

"That's fine. Grandma and Grandpa called while you were in there. They were planning to come over this afternoon, but I suggested we take the kids over there instead. They said to pass along their condolences to Jordan. Luke and Mom are upstairs getting some things together for the kids. They should be ready to go in a little bit." Rory stated.

"Ok. Hey, do you mind if I stay here. I'm not really in the mood to go out. Plus, I think I should be here for Jordan." Jess asked softly.

"I figured you'd want to stay here, so that's fine." She said. Rory hesitated for a moment before looking Jess in the eyes. "Jess, can I ask you something?"

"Always" He responded.

"How do you honestly feel about Lydia's death? I'm not trying to imply anything, I was just wondering. I mean, I know you've already explained your relationship with her, but how do you feel now?" She said while biting her lip.

Jess sighed before trying to explain. "I'm not one hundred percent sure. I don't think I ever loved her, so it's hard to say how I feel now. I feel bad for Jordan and his grandparents, but I think that's it. I kind of feel sad for Lydia too. She never got to see Jordan grow up or have a strong relationship with him. She really missed out on know him and seeing him grow into a man."

Rory nodded. "She did miss out. I'm really glad we have Jordan in our lives. How is he doing?"

"He's pretty shaken up right now."

"Was he close to her? I thought he didn't really know her?" Rory questioned.

"I think that's part of why he's so upset. He hadn't heard from her in a couple years. I guess she's been messed up since he was little. She's been in and out of rehab a couple of times, but fell back into it again. Jordan said she always promised him she's get clean and sober, but never did. His grandparents told him she died of a heroin overdose at a bar in Boston." Jess said solemnly.

"That's rough." Rory said. "Is there anything I can do for him?"

"Not right now. His grandparents are flying into Boston tonight. They told him they'd drive here and pick him up. I'm going to call them and offer to drive him there. You want to join us?"

"Sure. I'll talk to mom and see if she's ok with watching the kids all night." Rory said.

"Ok, well, I'm going to go out back and call them. I snagged Jordan's cell phone, so hopefully he doesn't mind." Jess said while finding the number for Jordan's grandparents and walking to the kitchen and through the back door.

Rory remained on the couch as sighed as Lorelai came down the stairs.

"How's it going?" Lorelai asked tentatively.

"Ok, I guess. Jordan's asleep. Jess is calling Dan and Maggie. They're flying into Boston tonight and Jess is going to drive Jordan out there." She said. "Hey, I think I'm going to join them. Would you and Luke be ok watching the kids overnight for us?"

"Sure, it's not a problem. How long are you going to be gone for?"

"Just overnight, I think." She responded. "I'm not really sure anyone knows what to do right now. Dan and Maggie have to make some arrangements for a funeral, but I don't really know where that's going to be. They're originally from New York, but none of their family lives there now, so I'm really not sure."

"Well, be sure to let me know if there is anything I can do." Lorelai said and Rory nodded.

The kids eventually descended the stairs and began to get into Lorelai's Jeep and the rental SUV. Rory promised Jess she'd be back shortly after dinner if not sooner before she got into the SUV and backed out of the driveway. Lorelai followed in her vehicle as they slowly drove away from the house.

Later that evening, Jess, Rory, and Jordan drove toward Boston. Jordan sat in the backseat staring out the window and into the darkness. He hadn't said much since he woke up from his afternoon nap. Both Jess and Rory felt bad that there really wasn't anything either of them could do for him. Rory glanced back at him and tried to make conversation. His responses to her were short and to the point which Rory took as a sign to leave him alone. The majority of the drive was spent in silence as everyone watched the road and thought of what was waiting for them in Boston.

After a few hours of driving, the trio arrived at the hotel Dan and Maggie were staying at for the night. They quickly parked the car and Jordan made his way up to the room. Rory and Jess waited in the lobby for further instructions. Almost half an hour later, Jordan came into the lobby with a tall slender couple who appeared to be in their mid fifties in tow. The man had dark hair with a hint of grey creeping up around the edges of his face and wore a dark suit with a grey shirt and blue tie that had been slightly undone. The woman also looked very professional. Her curly sandy blonde hair framed her face nicely and she wore a dark grey pencil skirt with a white ruffled shirt and dark blue cardigan and a nice wide black leather belt showed off her narrow waist. Her heels clicked on the marble floor of the lobby as the group approached Rory and Jess.

Jess quickly stood up and shook the man's hand as they neared. "Dan, nice to see you again." He said before giving Maggie a polite hug.

Rory stood up to introduce herself but Jess beat her to it. "Dan, Maggie, this is my wife, Rory. Rory this is Dan and Maggie, Jordan's grandparents."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Rory. Jordan's told us a lot about you." Dan said while shaking her hand.

Maggie also shook Rory's hand before saying, "It's lovely to meet you Rory. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you."

"It's nice to meet both of you too." Rory said genuinely. "I'm sorry it has to be under these circumstances though."

"Me too." Maggie replied before looking away for a moment.

"Well, just to get everyone up to speed here, I'd like you to know that we can't really do anything until tomorrow. I spoke to the hospital again after we checked into the hotel and they said Lydia's body had been transferred to the morgue, so we need to go there. It's not open until tomorrow morning, so we just have to wait." Dan said grimly. "We've been waiting to see Jordan to make any sort of arrangements, so I guess we could outline what our next steps are." He offered.

Jordan rolled his eyes slightly at his grandfather's formal approach to the situation. "It's ok grandpa, you're not briefing a client. You don't have to be so formal."

Maggie held his hand as Dan frowned and she explained. "We're not really sure what to do in this situation. We don't usually have to deal with a death in the family, so we're a little off our game." She said to Rory and Jess.

The all stood there for a moment before Rory finally spoke up. "It's a little awkward standing in the hotel lobby discussing this, would you all like to go to the coffee shop next door?"

"Are they open?" Jordan asked.

"They were when we got here." Jess said. "Let's go check it out."

Everyone followed Jess as they went next door. Sure enough, the coffee shop was open twenty four hours, so they sat down at a table. Rory walked up to the counter and brought a pot of coffee and five cups back.

"Well done my dear. Looks like you know we're all coffee fiends." Maggie observed.

"Of course, I did my research." She smiled. "I've even got the barista brewing another pot as we speak."

"Good call." Dan said.

Maggie took a sip of the coffee Rory had poured for her and took a deep breath. "Ok. Let's see, where do we start? I keep thinking I should have client files in front of me and be outline what the next steps are." She admitted. Dan chuckled before explaining to Jess and Rory.

"I'm sure Jordan told you, but Maggie is a tax accountant. She does a lot of work with estate taxes. She mainly plans estates and helps her clients minimize the amount of taxes their relatives will have to pay upon the client's death. She also helps file the tax returns once a client dies, so she usually has a plan before someone dies and can follow it with the family after."

"Yes, I'm a little out of my element here." Maggie admitted.

"I'm the same way too, so you'll have to forgive me." Dan also admitted to Jess and Rory. "I'm an attorney and a lot of the work I do also revolves around estates. I help clients set up trusts and structure various transactions to minimize the tax impact. So, I also usually follow certain protocols when someone dies." He looked down and straightened his tie as he finished. "I never really expected to deal with Lydia's death, let alone after not seeing or speaking to her for several years. I don't really know anything about what to do in this situation."

"I'm really sorry. This must be so horrible for all of you." Rory said.

"It is actually." Maggie said. "You see, Dan and I have lost both our parents, but they were older and had lived full lives. We knew their wishes and were able to carry them out. We also had siblings who helped with most of the plans. This time we've got nothing to go by. Plus, how do you really deal with the death of your only child?"

"Well, Rory and I would like to offer whatever assistance you need. If you need anything at all, you just let us know and we'll take care of it." Jess offered.

"Thank you Jess. We really appreciate it." Dan said as the barista came over with a fresh pot of coffee. Rory thanked her as she took away the empty pot.

"Jordan, what do you think of having the service here in Boston?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know. I guess it doesn't really make a difference where we have it." Jordan shrugged while responding.

"I understand." Dan said. "I don't think we should have it in San Francisco. Your Mom never really spent much time there. New York seems appropriate, I guess."

"Yes, I think she would like that." Maggie answered. "I'll call our relatives in the area and see if they can make it."

"Just a suggestion, but my Mom owns an Inn in Stars Hollow." Rory interjected. "I'm sure you could use the dining room space if you'd like."

"That nice of you Rory. We might take you up on that offer." Dan said.

"No problem. Just let me know the date and time and I'll work it all out."

"Well, I guess we can't really do much else before tomorrow morning." Maggie said. "It's too late to call anyone or book anything. Let's head back to the hotel and get some sleep. Rory, Jess, would you like us to book you a room?"

"No that's ok. We should be getting back to Stars Hollow. Rory's mom is watching the kids, so we should get back there." Jess explained.

Everyone stood up and left the coffee shop. They said their goodbyes and soon Jess and Rory were driving back to Stars Hollow.

"I like them." Rory said.

"Dan and Maggie?"

"Yeah, they're really intense, but down to earth. They seem like really good people." Rory explained.

"I like them too. I can't really say I know them well, but the few times I talked to them and met them while visit Jordan have been good." Jess said. "They were a little out of character tonight, but it's understandable."

"For sure."

They continued to drive in silence for a while before Jess spoke up. "Hey babe? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Rory said.

Jess reached over and covered her hand with his. "What would happen if one of us died?"

Rory turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Jess, that's not going to happen anytime soon." She tried to assure him.

"I really hope it doesn't, but I think we should discuss it. We've never really talked about it."

"We haven't?" Rory asked. "Didn't we discuss it when I was sick?"

"Nope. We never did. I always just assumed you get better and we wouldn't have to worry about it. The really scary thing is that I almost had to worry about it. There was a brief moment when I honestly thought I'd lose you and have to live the rest of my life without you Rory. It was one of the worst moments in my whole life." Jess confessed to her.

Rory squeezed his hand and assured him, "I'm sorry you had to go through that Jess. I know I don't have a completely clean bill of health yet, but I'm sure I will soon. The doctor is going to do more blood work and continue to make sure the cancer is gone. It hasn't come back yet, so I don't think it's going to. I feel so much better and I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy. I know Lydia's death was a shock, but I'm not going anywhere. I plan to be a thorn in your side for many many years to come." She said with confidence.

"I really hope you're right about that." Jess smiled at her. "I'm not going anywhere either. If I do, you can thoroughly kick my ass."

"That may be hard to do if you're not here, but I'll definitely try." She joked before turning serious again. "Just so you know, if something ever did happen to you, I'd do my best to raise the kids on my own and keep the bookstore going. It would suck, but I'd make sure everything followed the plan we set up."

"I'd do the same thing." Jess responded. "I'd probably totally suck as a single father, but I'd do my best."

"You wouldn't suck. You'd rise to the occasion and they'd make a cheese Lifetime movie about you." She smiled at him.

"Let's hope that never happens then." Jess smiled back.

Rory took a breath before continuing. "If something happens to both of us, I'd like my Mom and Luke to raise the kids. What do you think?"

"I agree. They would be great. I think the kids would do well in Stars Hollow." Jess replied. "I would kind of feel bad about ignoring Jimmy and Sasha, but I don't think five kids would be something they'd really want to take on. Don't get me wrong, they're both great with the kids, but I don't really want our kids to grow up quite so free spirited."

"Yeah, I get that. So, it's all settled than. If something happens to one of us, the other has to step up and give a Meryl Streep Oscar award winning performance and if something happens to both of us, Mom and Luke get to do the honors." Rory said.

Jess laughed and shook his head. "I'd love to see Luke do a Meryl Streep Oscar award winning performance."

Rory laughed at the idea too as they continued the drive back to Stars Hollow.

**A/N: Please Review!**


	23. Chapter 23

The next few days went by quickly for the Danes/Mariano clan. Jordan, Dan, and Maggie and a few other relatives held a funeral service for Lydia in the New York countryside. They accepted Rory's offer and held a small get together for family and friends at The Dragonfly. Dan and Maggie rented a room at The Dragonfly and spent a few days in Stars Hollow before flying back to San Francisco. Before they left, they joined the Danes and Mariano families in celebrating Jack's birthday. It was a nice distraction after a few horrible days. Richard and Emily got to know Dan and Maggie and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. Richard was practically giddy with excitement after talking business with Dan and Maggie. Lorelai later joked with them that Richard and Emily liked Dan and Maggie better than her and Luke. Even Dan and Danny formed a tight bond over their shared names.

Jordan decided to cut his trip short and return home with his grandparents. They needed to spend time together to grieve and mourn their loss, especially before Jordan went back to school. Jess and Rory were sad to see him go, but completely understood.

Christmas came and went and New Years was suddenly drawing very near. Late one evening Jess and Rory sat in her old bedroom eating a late night snack of tea and cookies. Everyone else seemed to be asleep so they chatted quietly about various things. Jess noticed that Rory seemed a little off the last day or so, but he waited for her to process whatever was on her mind. He knew she would talk to him when she was ready.

Rory wrinkled her brow while she thought about how to approach Jess with what was on her mind.

"Rory, what are you thinking about?" He asked suddenly. "I know something's been on your mind recently. What's going on in there?"

"Well…" Rory started to say. "I'm not really sure how to approach this."

"Just say whatever you want. You know I'm always here to listen. It's ok whatever it is." Jess said while putting his hand on hers.

"Ok. Well, being back in Stars Hollow has made me realize how much I've really missed being here. I miss the people here. I miss being close to my Mom." Rory said with sadness in her voice. "Jess, I love you and our kids and the life we have in Venice Beach, but I feel like I'm being torn apart."

Jess saw a tear fall from her eye and quickly engulfed her in a hug. "Rory, sweetie, it's understandable. Do you want to stay out here a little longer after the kids and I go home? You know you can visit here anytime you want. We can fly your Mom out to see us. We can do whatever you want Rory."

Rory hugged him tightly before pulling away to look at him. "Thank you. I know we'll find a way to work it out, but I just don't like being away." She paused for a moment before admitting the truth. "Jess, I want to move back to Stars Hollow. I know we have a great life in California, but I love it here. It's like a part of me, you know? I really think it would be a great place to raise the kids."

Jess thought for a moment before beginning the discussion. "Ok, let's discuss this further. I understand where you're coming from, but let me say something first."

She nodded and waited for him to begin.

He took a deep breath and tried to process his thoughts out loud. "I know how much you love your Mom, Rory. I know you two need to be together. I also know that the kids love her and are forming a tight bond with her and Luke. I think that's great. They should be close with family. I guess my concerns are more about how we would go about moving our entire lives here. What about the bookstore? We're making good money there and I'm not sure we could do the same out here. The market is different and it would take a couple years to build up a customer base. I don't know if we can take a financial hit like that. What about our house? I love that big old house close to the beach. Are we going to be able to find something like it in Stars Hollow? What about the kids? How are they going to react? What about Jordan? We're just forming a relationship with him and then we go and move across the country. How do we work that out?" Jess finally stopped and took a breath while Rory looked at him.

"Wow Luke Jr. That was some rant." She joked before turning serious again. "I know there are a lot of questions to be answered. I've thought of all that too, but I think we can make it work. It may be a challenge, but we can do it. We've overcome a lot in the time we've been together, I really think we can do this." She waited a moment before asking something else. "Jess, would you be willing to move back here?"

"If it would make you happy, then yes, I'll move back here." Jess said genuinely. "Can we think about this a little more before making a final decision? I need some time to process it all."

"Absolutely. Do you want to make a pro/con list?" She smiled at him.

"I'll just look at the one you've probably already made." He responded as she got up and retrieved a sheet of paper from the nightstand. She handed it to him and watched as he scanned the page. He nodded and folded the paper before setting it on the dresser. "Looks like you pretty well laid it out. I'll keep thinking about it."

"Thank you for being open to this." She said while hugging him. "I love you, you know that, right."

"Yes, I do. I love you too." He responded.

The rest of the Mariano's trip to Stars Hollow went by quickly for everyone. The family packed their bags and said tearful goodbyes before flying back to California. Jess and Rory continued to discuss the possibility of moving their family to Stars Hollow and all the challenges it presented. After weighing all the factors and making many pro/con lists, the couple finally decided that they were going to move to Stars Hollow. They called all the kids together and gently explained their decision. The boys seemed enthusiastic about it. They really liked the idea of being close to Jack and Will, who they'd formed a tight bond with in the short time they'd known each other. Janie was a bit more reluctant to leaving California and all her friends. After several late night chats with Rory and Jess, she was finally on board with the idea.

Jess and Rory spent several months researching what to do with the bookstore. They had several talks with their employees and finally worked out a deal with the manager. He offered to buy half of the bookstore and Rory and Jess would remain half owners, still receiving income and helping run the business long distance. Jess took a secret trip out to Hartford to research potential bookstores available for sale. He and Rory kept the trip secret since they hadn't told anyone other than the kids about their plans. They wanted to make sure it would all work out before getting everyone, especially Lorelai's, hopes up. Jess found a chain of five small stores that he and Rory arranged to purchase. Two of the stores were located in Hartford, one in New Haven, and the other two in Providence, Rhode Island.

While he was in the area, he spoke to a realtor who helped him find the perfect house for his family. It was similar in appearance to Lorelai's house, but was painted a pretty blue color. The house sat on several acres of property and had a small pond. There were stables for horses, but Jess thought they'd use it as a fort or something for the kids as neither he nor Rory were into horses. To top it all off, the house had six bedrooms, space for an office, and a library on the third floor. He took some pictures of the house and took them home to Rory who instantly fell in love with the house. After a lot of thought, they decided to keep their house in Venice Beach for the time being. They planned to rent it out or keep it as a vacation home.

After everything had been settled, Jess and Rory told Sasha, Jimmy, and Lilly their plans. They were sad to see the family go, but knew it was best for them to be near more of their family. Jimmy and Sasha promised to look after the house and help in renting it out.

When it came time to tell Lorelai, Rory wanted to surprise her, so she flew to Hartford and drove into Stars Hollow early one morning. She arrived at the house around nine am and knocked on the door. Several minutes later, Lorelai answered the door and was shocked to see Rory standing there.

"Rory!" She said while giving her a big hug. "I didn't know you were coming. Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine. I actually have some really good news and wanted to share it with you in person. Can we go inside and sit?" Rory asked.

"Oh, yes, sorry." Lorelai said while stepping aside to let Rory enter. They sat couch and Lorelai waited with baited breath to hear the news.

"Do you have time to talk or do you need to run off to work?" Rory asked while looking around.

"I have time. Luke took the boys to school a little while ago, so I was just about to head to work, but I can chat for a while." She said.

"Ok, well, like I said earlier, it's really good news." Rory said while looking at Lorelai. She took a deep breath before saying, "Jess and I and the kids are moving to Stars Hollow!"

Lorelai instantly jumped up from the couch and pulled Rory up and into a hug. "Really?" She exclaimed.

"Yup, Jess and I spent the last couple months talking it over and planning it all out. All we need to do is sign papers on the house and bookstores and drive out here."

"Oh my God! This is so great!" Lorelai said while jumping up and down. "You're really going to move here! I'm so happy Rory." Lorelai smiled at her. "Oh, we need to celebrate. Champagne!" She said while running into the kitchen. Rory shook her head and followed along.

Lorelai dug through the refrigerator and turn back to Rory with two bottles of beer in her hand. "Well, no champagne, but we do have beer."

Rory scrunched up her face before shaking her head. "It's nine in the morning. I don't think so."

Lorelai put both bottles back and shut the refrigerator door. "Ok, coffee at Luke's it is then." She nodded while linking arms with Rory and leading her out the door to the diner.

Lorelai threw the door to the diner open and shouted, "Burger Boy! Two coffee's pronto!" before she and Rory took up seats at the counter. Luke came out from the kitchen with a frown on his face that instantly changed to happiness when he saw Rory. He gave her a hug and quick kiss on the check before saying, "This is an unexpected visit. What's going on?"

"Rory, Jess, and the kids are moving to Stars Hollow!" Lorelai shouted before Rory could respond.

The diner turned to silence as everyone looked at Rory. She nodded to acknowledge the truth in Lorelai's outburst. Everyone instantly burst into cheers and took turns hugging Rory and wishing her well.

Rory and Lorelai finally got two cups of coffee to go after being attacked by just about everyone in town. They made their way to The Dragonfly to avoid the crowd and grab a late breakfast. They entered through the backdoor and into the kitchen. Sookie greeted Lorelai as she walked in and turned back to whatever she was cooking on the stove. Sookie caught a glimpse of Rory walking in behind Lorelai and abruptly turned to face her with a saucepan in her hand. Finally realizing it was actually Rory, she threw the saucepan in the air and rushed over to Rory and engulfed her in a tight hug. "Rory! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Good to see you too Sookie!" Rory said while pulling away.

Sookie looked at the grown woman standing before her while getting a little teary eyed. "Oh, you're so grown up. Gah, I hate that I missed you over Christmas. Stupid Jackson's family and their insisting we visit at the exact same time you were here." She pouted. "I missed getting to met your kids and see Jess."

Rory reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of the family. She handed it to Sookie who started to cry and said, "Oh my gosh. They're adorable Rory. You seriously have to bring them out here again soon."

"Actually, that's going to happen very soon. Jess and I and the kids are moving to Stars Hollow!" She exclaimed.

Sookie squealed and quickly hugged Rory again. "That's so great!" She said. "Lorelai, you must be thrilled." She said after releasing Rory.

"I am. I'm so excited to have the grandkids so close." She beamed.

"Oh, I still can't believe you're a grandmother!" Sookie giggled. "I'm having a hard time picturing this. I guess it'll be more real once I see you in action with the grandkids."

"I know. I feel so old these days." She joked while smiling at Rory. "It's a total blast though. I get to have fun with them and then send them all back home once they start to get crabby or tired."

Sookie smiled at her before quickly retrieving two coffee cups from the cabinet and pouring two cups. She put together a big breakfast for two of her favorite girls and escorted them into the dining room.

As Lorelai and Rory were enjoying their breakfast, Michel walked into the dining room and stopped short when he saw Rory. "Rory!" He exclaimed in his French accent.

"oh, Michel. Hi. It's nice to see you again." Rory responded.

"You're very excited to see Rory, Michel." Lorelai noted.

Michel instantly frowned to cover his excitement. "Well, it's been a long time." He said.

"Get used to seeing her Michel. She, Jess, and their kids are moving to Stars Hollow!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Oh Joy. More little children to run around and make my life miserable." Michel scoffed before walking out of the room.

"He's totally excited about it." Lorelai said and Rory laughed knowing it was true.

Around lunch time Rory said her goodbyes and left for the airport. She was home later that night and shared all the details of the day with her family. They laughed at the town's antics and discussed more of the moving details before everyone finally headed off to bed for the night.

**A/N: Please review! I'm thinking of taking some time jumps in the next few chapters. I'm thinking about showing the kids growing up from their own perspectives. What do you think about that?**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: This chapter is short, but I needed to wrap a few things up before moving onto the next chapter.**

Summer quickly rolled around again and so did a new chapter in the Mariano's lives. They finalized all the details and made the cross country move. Jordan came along to help them and share in the experience. He spent most of the summer exploring the area and enjoying spending time with the family. He even got to know Richard and Emily fairly well through Friday night dinners. Richard even went as far as to give Jordan a tour of Yale University, in hopes that the young man would apply there in the fall.

The Mariano's quickly settled into life in Stars Hollow and everyone seemed to embrace the new family. The town created a special summer festival in their honor, which the kids were delighted about. Jess even found a good rhythm in the small town and was able to run the bookstores from home most days and do some occasional traveling to check up on things.

The kids started school in Stars Hollow that fall. Rory and Jess thought it would be best for them to get to know more kids in the area rather than go to a private school in Hartford, as Richard and Emily insisted.

Rory and Lorelai's relationship was closer than ever and Jess and Luke even forged a tight bond as time went on. Despite the initial awkwardness of the mother/daughter duo raising their children simultaneously, they enjoyed it and learned a lot from each other.

Rory started writing after everyone was settled in. She did a lot of freelance work, but was soon offered a position with an online news magazine. She loved it because she could write about a wide variety of topics and work from home. It was a good arrangement for everyone involved.

Everything seemed to be going wonderfully, but one thing was constantly on Rory's mind. There was something different about Janie since they moved to Stars Hollow. Rory couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, but something was off. She and her daughter had always had a strong bond, but she seemed to be slipping away slowly. Rory wasn't' sure whether it was just Janie becoming a teenager and developing the typical teenage attitude, or whether it was something more serious. Rory didn't want to risk prying and jeopardizing their relationship, so she decided not to say anything and monitor the situation.

Jess had felt a similar distance developing between himself and Janie, but couldn't figure out what it was. He also had no idea how to approach her about it. He discussed it with Rory and they both assumed it was teenage angst more than anything else.

That same fall, Rory had another health scare, but it turned out to be a false alarm. There were some abnormalities in a few tests her new doctor ran, but after running them a second time, everything turned out to be fine. Jess and Rory both breathed a sigh of relief and hoped that chapter of their lives was behind them for good.

For the most part, Dean did as he was told and stayed away from Rory. He moved to Litchfield, but occasionally had jobs in Stars Hollow. They ran into each other a few times, but always parted quickly.

Lane and Zack enjoyed having another family in town to hang out with. Steve and Kwon loved playing with the Mariano boys in Jess and Rory's backyard. Zack and Jess quickly became close friends and spent about as much time together and Rory and Lane did.

Luke and Lorelai's sons quickly found themselves surrounded with more friends than they knew what to do with. Will was especially grateful for his friends after he broke his arm while falling out of a tree. They all come over to visit him and write on his cast. Luke had seen the incident happen and practically had a heart attack over the situation. After a trip to the hospital and a few weeks of special treatment, Will was back to his old self.

Lorelai was working at the Inn early one morning when an unexpected visitor showed up. It was none other than Paris Geller herself. Lorelai walked into the dining room during the early breakfast rush to see Paris, her husband, and two children sitting at a table. They were taking a quick weekend trip before Paris started her new job as a surgeon at Hartford Memorial Hospital. Lorelai called Rory, who quickly came over to catch up with her old friend and rival. Paris had met Doyle McMaster while attending Yale and had gotten married to him after graduation. Several years later they had a daughter; James, who was now three years old and a son; Doyle Jr, or DJ, who had just turned one. Rory was surprise that Paris had actually settled down long enough to have a family, but was truly happy for her. Now that Paris was living in the area, they remained in touch and often met for coffee.

Stars Hollow remained much the same as it had for years, despite the change in residents. Life continued on and before anyone knew it, the young families were quickly growing up.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I'm going to do something a little different in the next several chapters. I think it's time that we get to know the Mariano kids better and explore their characters. I'm going to show them growing up, but from their own perspective (with some of Jess and Rory's points of view thrown in). Please let me know what you think as we go along. I hope you enjoy reading it.**

Jordan stood on the steps of the library steps, proudly holding his recently awarded Stanford University diploma. He brushed the tassel on his graduation cap out of his face and smoothed his robe as his fiancée, Kari, stood next to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. She was just a few inches shorter than him, but her high heels put her at his height. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a bright blue blouse. Her dark brown hair was loosely curled for the special occasion. She smiled at Jordan and he could see the joy she felt for him in her sparkling green eyes.

They both looked at his grandmother, Maggie, as she took several pictures. Rory quickly rushed over to where Maggie was standing and took several pictures with her own camera.

"It's almost over." Kari said to Jordan through her smile.

"We've been at it for almost an hour." Jordan replied. Kari just put her free arm up to his chest and patted it in response to him. They were both getting excited to see each other after months apart and wanted to spend some time alone. Since Kari had graduated two years ago from Stanford, she'd spent her time in Boston attending Harvard Medical School and doing an internship at Boston Memorial Hospital, where she was going to start her residency in the fall. Jordan was going to move there and work for an architecture firm. He and Kari were renting a truck and driving across the country to move all his stuff. They were planning their wedding for a few days after Christmas. They were going to have it at The Dragonfly in Stars Hollow and hoped it would be covered in snow for their special day.

Thinking of their upcoming wedding, Jordan's mind wandered back to when he first met Kari.

_Jordan was running late and rushed to the coffee shop. He threw the door open and ran right into a girl with a hot cup of coffee. Jordan ran into her with such force that the cup smashed between them drenching both of them in hot coffee._

"_Shit!" She yelped as the coffee soaked through her sweater and burned her skin. "What's your problem? Why don't you look where you're going?" She said while walking to the counter and grabbing a stack of napkins. Jordan quickly walked over and grabbed a stack to wipe off his own shirt. _

"_I'm so sorry." He apologized. "I'm such a jerk. I should have paid more attention to where I was going."_

_ She sighed and looked down at her coffee soaked sweater. "It's fine. There's nothing we can do about it now anyways." She said before looking up at him. She frowned at the goofy grin on his face and asked "What's your deal?"_

_He shook his head and extended his hand to her. "I'm Jordan Mariano." He said._

"_Kari Heart." She said confidently while shaking his hand firmly. "I'm sorry, but I have a class. I need to run back to my place and change." She explained. _

"_Oh, sorry. I've made you late for class." He apologized again while stepping out of her way. _

"_Like I said before, there isn't anything you can do now. Just be more careful in the future." She explained while turning and walking out the door. _

_ Jordan watched her walk out the door and disappear around the corner. He smiled and turned toward the counter. The barista gave him a funny look as he stared at her. "Are you going to order something?" She asked. He shook his head again and stepped closer to the register._

"_Large black coffee to go please." He ordered while pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He paid for the coffee and left the shop. He made his way back to his apartment and quickly changed out of his coffee soaked clothes. About an hour later he groaned while remembering he completely forgot about his class. He sighed in frustration as he couldn't get the image of Kari Heart out of his mind. _

_ Every day that week, he went back to the same coffee shop at the same time in the hope of running into Kari. After a week without seeing her, she finally came in for coffee a week later. Jordan was sitting at a table near the door and watched her walk in. After she got her coffee, she walked to the door and was surprised to see Jordan jump up and hold the door open for her. He had a goofy grin on his face again which she couldn't help but smile at. _

"_Hi." He said while smiling at her. "I didn't run into you this time."_

"_That seems to be an accomplishment for you." She joked while walking through the door. She smiled and continued to walk away, but Jordan followed her. _

"_I'm Jordan." He introduced himself to her again._

"_I remember. Do you go to Stanford?" She asked as they walked toward the building her class was in._

"_Yeah, I'm in the Architectural Design Program. It's my sophomore year." He informed her._

"_Good for you." She said. "I'm a senior. Double majoring in Biology and Chemistry." She explained._

"_Wow. That sounds really intense. You must really need that coffee." He said while pointing to the cup in her hand. _

"_Yeah, I do. That's kind of why I was so upset when you bumped into me the other day. I don't normally lose my cool like that." She cringed._

"_It's totally fine. I definitely deserved it. You were pretty cool about it actually. I would have probably thrown a fit if someone did that to me." He admitted. Kari turned and walked up to an impressive looking building. "Well, I've got to get to class. I guess I'll see you around Jordan." She said while he opened the door for her._

"_Yeah, I'd actually really like that." He smiled back. As she walked away, he stopped her. "I don't have your number. How do I get a hold of you?" He asked. _

_She reached into her bag, pulled out a business card, and offered it to him. "Email is usually the best way to reach me." She said. "See you later." She smiled at him and walked away toward a nearby classroom. _

_ Jordan nodded and smiled as she walked away. He looked at the card she had handed him and was impressed with her organization. The card provided him with her email, phone number, and address. He pulled out his wallet and carefully tucked the card inside. He put the wallet back in his pocket and walked out of the building thinking about how impressive the woman he'd just met was. _

"Jordan?" Kari asked while Jordan's mind snapped back to reality. "Are you ok? You've been spacing out for a few minutes and have this goofy grin on your face."

"Everything's fine." He said. "I was just thinking back to the day we met." He explained as he grabbed her hand and walked toward his grandparents, Jess, and Rory. He ushered them all over to a nearby bench and took a seat.

"Everything ok?" Jess asked.

"It's fine. I was just telling Kari I was thinking about when we first met." He smiled at her.

"oh, I want to hear the story!" Rory exclaimed.

"It's kind of cheesy." Kari said.

"It is not." Jordan defended.

"Tell it!" Rory commanded.

"Well then, I guess I have to tell it." Jordan said before quickly kissing Kari on the cheek. He retold the story for his family over the next several minutes as they listened intently. After Jordan was finished, they all sighed and smiled.

"That was sweet." Rory said.

"Yeah, except that we'll always remember the first thing I said to Jordan was 'shit'". Kari joked and everyone laughed along.

"Just don't tell that part of the story to the grandkids." Jess joked.

"Speaking of which…when are we going to hear the pitter patter of little feet?" Rory asked.

Jordan and Kari both looked at each other with wide eyes and shook their heads. "Whoa there Rory. That's not going to be happening for a long time." Kari stated.

"What about your first date?" Maggie asked in an attempt to change the subject. Rory sighed, but was curious about the answer to Maggie's question.

"That's a good story too." Jordan said while remembering the occasion.

"It was during midterms." Kari explained. "I had basically locked myself in the lab for two weeks straight and Jordan was starting to feel a little lonely."

"No, you were ignoring me." Jordan corrected her. "You gave me your card and I had emailed you several times, but you didn't respond. I kept going back to the coffee shop to try and run into you again. I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought you had disappeared or something." He admitted before continuing. "I finally went back to the building I knew you had a class in and looked around. I noticed there was a lab in the back, so I walked over and looked through the window. Of course, you were in there working away on some science experiment."

"I believe it was cell behavior research." She thought aloud.

"Whatever it was, it completely baffled me." He said and continued the story. "Anyways, the door was locked, so I knocked on the door until someone finally came over and answered. You were so wrapped up in your work that you didn't even look up."

"Until you interfered." She remarked as he nodded his head.

"Yes, in my foolish attempt to get your attention I smacked my hand against the counter." He admitted.

"Thus breaking several of the test tubes and sloshing several solutions out of Petrie dishes." She remarked. "And rendered my midterm project a complete disaster."

Jordan shook his head at the memory. "You were really angry. You yelled for about five minutes straight. You face was bright red and your eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets."

"Yes, I do remember I reached legendary status in the lab for that freak out. It was a big project though. I'd been working on it for weeks. It was due the next day." Kari stated.

"I thought I'd completely blown any chance I ever had with you right then and there."

"You almost did." Kari reminded him. "Good thing you practically fell on your knees and begged for forgiveness."

"How did you ever get out of that mess?" Dan asked as he folded his arms over his chest. "I'm surprised Kari ever looked at you again after that."

"She made me help her redo the project." Jordan admitted and everyone laughed.

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Yes." Kari said. "I had to get the project done by five pm the next day or I would fail the class. So, I yelled at him again and told him to get comfortable because he was going to be spending the night in the lab with me."

"Oh my gosh!" Maggie laughed. "Did he actually do it?"

"Yes, I did." Jordan said while hanging his head. "It started out horrible. I didn't know anything about what she was doing and had no idea how to help."

"You figured it out after a while." Kari explained. "I just kept giving him small jobs and let him do the repetitive stuff. I also made him go on several coffee runs throughout the night." She said to the group.

"Kari's coffee consumption seriously rivals yours Rory." Jordan said and everyone laughed.

"Did you actually get everything done that night for your project?" Jess asked.

"No, but I did finish it by five pm the next day." Kari said. "I made Jordan skip two of his classes that day to bring me food and supplies. He spent about three hours typing up my research paper while I dictated it to him. I didn't have time to finish the project and write the paper, so Jordan got to write the paper."

"I still have no idea what I wrote." Jordan admitted.

"Despite your best efforts, we completed the project and turned it into the professor's office five minutes before the deadline." She said proudly. "I got an A minus on it, so it ended turning out really well."

"That wasn't the end of it." Jordan said and everyone looked at him wondering what was next. "She was still angry with me, so I walked her back to her apartment and cooked her dinner while she took a long hot shower and changed into clean clothes. I think the thing that finally won you over was the freshly baked cookies for desert."

"Actually, it did." Kari admitted to the group. "I was very impressed with his culinary skills. I'm horrible in the kitchen, so it was nice to eat something so delicious."

"I definitely thanked Luke for showing me all those tips while I was in Stars Hollow." Jordan said while everyone chuckled.

"Yes, you seriously owe him for that. That dinner finally opened my eyes to Jordan." She said. "It was love at first bite." She joked in a cheesy high pitched voice to which everyone howled with laughter.

"Jordan definitely discovered the way to my heart was through my stomach." She laughed again before giving him a quick kiss and rubbing his back.

"Whatever works." Jordan smirked.

"Wow." Rory stated. "That's some story."

"Yeah, it's very _interesting_." Jess teased them. "Speaking of food, should we head out and grab some dinner?" He asked.

"Absolutely." Kari said. "Jordan, you pick the place."

"Mexican food ok?" He asked and everyone nodded in agreement. Jordan gave directions to a favorite local place and they walked to their respective cars to drive there.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Remember, we're exploring the kids growing up, so there is a time jump here. I hope you like this chapter, it's a long one!**

Janie laughed with her friends while taking the joint from Isaac. She inhaled deeply and slowly let the smoke leave her lungs. Just as she was passing it back to her boyfriend Isaac, her father came around the side of the garage to where they were standing and stopped cold. His eyes went wide and he clenched his fists. The group of teenagers quickly scattered, leaving Janie standing there holding the joint. Jess walked over to her, grabbed it out of her hand, held it for a second, and quickly squashed it out against the garage wall. He threw the bud onto the roof of the garage and watched it roll into the gutter. He turned back to Janie and looked her square in the eyes. She crossed her arms as if challenging him to punish her. For a moment Jess thought he saw a familiar smirk on her face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He shook his head and turned to walk away. He stopped before rounding the corner of the garage and turned to look at Janie again. "You know, I'm really disappointed in you Janie. I thought you were better than that."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you Dad. I'm not your precious little Janie anymore." She said snidely.

Jess was a bit taken aback by her attitude and choice of words. "I guess not." He said while turning and walking away.

"And stop calling me Janie! My name is Jane!" She yelled after him.

Later that night, Jess pulled back the covers on the bed and slid in next to Rory. He let out a big sigh and closed his eyes. Rory rolled over and touched his shoulder. "Jess, what's bothering you? You've been in a huff all evening. What gives?"

Jess turned to look at her before revealing what was on his mind. "I caught Janie and her friends smoking pot behind the garage this afternoon."

Rory was a bit taken aback and stared at him wide eyed for more information. "What did you do?" She asked.

"I basically just told her I was disappointed in her. Her friends scattered before I could say anything. I have a feeling that Isaac kid is responsible for her most recent act of defiance." Jess said.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Rory smiled before running her hand through his hair.

"No I don't. He's been spending too much time with her. She's been getting into more trouble since she started hanging out with him." Jess frowned. "You don't think there's something going on between them, do you?" He questioned her.

"What makes you think I'd know the answer to that?" Rory asked.

"Well, you're her mother. If anyone would know anything personal about her it would be you." Jess explained.

"Right. So, when she's getting in trouble and spending too much time with boys, she's my daughter, but when she's a perfect angel, she's daddy's little girl." Rory said.

Jess sighed again before rolling onto his back. "Do you think she's sleeping with him?" He suddenly asked.

Rory looked at him and sighed. "Possibly. I don't really know. You've seen her around here lately, she barely speaks to any of us."

Jess nodded and clenched his jaw. "If they are, I'm going to kill that boy."

"You totally sound like Luke right now." Rory said and smiled at him.

"How are you so ok with this?" Jess asked starting to get irritated with her apathetic attitude.

Rory shook her head and sighed. "Jess, honey, there isn't anything we can do one way or another. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow, but getting upset and yelling at her isn't going to do any good. It's just going to drive her further from us. You remember what it was like when we were her age." Rory explained.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Jess huffed.

Rory sighed and put her head on Jess' chest. "She's not going to get pregnant and run away Jess."

Jess put his arms around her and held her close. "Let's hope you're right." He said.

"She's not." Rory assured him before closing her eyes. Jess sighed again before closing his eyes and attempting to fall asleep.

Janie looked at her phone and quick sent another text message to Isaac. "Ok, meet me outside in ten minutes" she texted. She quickly opened her bedroom window, crawled onto the roof and shimmied down the back porch post. Janie noticed the lights were off in her parents' bedroom and quickly rand along the side of the house and down to the street. She walked away from the house until she saw Isaac driving his pickup trip toward her. He stopped to let her in and then quickly drove off to his brother's apartment. Once they arrived, Isaac parked the truck and led her up the stairs and into the apartment.

"My brother's gone for a few days again." He smiled at her.

"Good." She said while smiling and leading him toward the bedroom.

Janie arrived home just before everyone got out of bed for the day. She silently slid into her room and changed into her PJs. She only slept a few hours before the house buzzed with activity and prevented her from sleeping more. She made her way to the bathroom and took her time showering before finally getting dressed for the day. Janie walked downstairs and into the kitchen where she saw her mother sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee.

"Good morning sleepy head." She said chipperly.

Janie rolled her eyes in response and mumbled "morning" as she walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. She leaned back against the counter and took a long sip of the dark coffee. Rory looked at her and frowned.

"Janie, are you having sex?" Rory blurted out.

Janie practically chocked on her coffee and coughed before answering. "I don't think that's any of your business." She said.

Rory shrugged. "Nope, not really. I just hope that if you are, you're being safe."

Janie scoffed at her mother. "Please, like you have any room to talk about being safe."

Rory stared at her with her mouth agape before she finally spoke up. "Young lady, I think I know more about the subject than you do."

"Well, you certainly didn't use any of that knowledge." Janie replied sharply while standing up straight and walking out of the kitchen.

"Don't you talk to me like that Janie!" Rory shouted after her. As the front door slammed closed Jess walked into the kitchen. He walked up behind Rory and bent down to give her a hug.

"Are you ok Rory?" He asked while holding her.

"You heard all of that?" She cringed while asking him.

"Yeah, I was coming downstairs when you two started talking. I'm sorry for listening in, but I couldn't help myself." He admitted.

"It's fine." Rory said.

"No, it's not. She can't just talk to you like that. I'm going to go find her." Jess said while releasing her.

"Jess, no." Rory stopped him. "It'll just make her more upset. She'll come back later."

Jess sighed and sat down next to her. "I hope you're right about all this. She better snap out of it soon or I'm going to lose it. Payback's a total bitch."

Rory smirked at him. "Never thought it would be Janie who'd inherit your attitude did you?"

"Nope. I thought for sure one of the boys would get that. I know how to deal with them. I have no idea how to handle Janie in this situation. Can I just lock her in her room for the next year?" He raised an eyebrow and asked.

Rory chuckled a little before answering. "No, I don't think we can do that. It would be nice to skip a year of that attitude, but I don't think locking her in her room would work." Rory looked down at her lap while becoming more serious. "I hate this, you know? I know it's just a phase and she's seventeen, but it's hard not to take her attitude personally." Rory admitted.

Jess put his arm around her shoulder and tried to comfort her. "Rory, you know she's really not angry or upset with you. You're a great mom and you haven't done anything to make her upset with you."

Rory smiled softly and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I think it should go right here." Isaac said while placing his hand on Janie's lower right hip, just above her rear end. He pulled the sheets down to reveal her bare skin as he looked at the area. "I think you should get the heart instead of the rose." He suggested.

"Yeah? You don't think a heart tattoo is too cheesy, do you?" She asked while looking at him.

"No. I think it's just fine." He said before kissing her. "When are you going to get it?"

"Tomorrow morning. Can you drive me there? I don't think my dad is going to let me take my car out. We haven't been getting a log too well lately." She asked him.

"Sure, I can drive you. Why are your parents such squares?" He asked.

"I don't know. They used to be cool back in the day, but ever since we moved to Stars Hollow they've changed. It's like they want us to be the perfect family or something. Plus, it doesn't help that they're making my brothers and I go to high school at that prison called Chilton." She said.

"Well, I'm glad you're not like your parents or those straight laced kids at your fancy school." Isaac said as he kissed her passionately. As things started to heat up, Isaac suddenly stopped. "Jane, hang on a second." He said while reached over to the nightstand. He rummaged through the drawer and turned back to her. "We've out of condoms. Hang on a second while I run to the store?" He asked.

"No, it's ok. I'm still on the pill." She said while kissing him.

Janie and Isaac arrived back at his brother's apartment and sat on the couch. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Does it still hurt?"

"It's a little numb, but other than that it's ok." Janie said while feeling the spot on her hip where the tattoo was.

"It'll feel a lot better in the morning." He said. "I always feel better the next morning when I get a new tattoo." He explained. "Yours is small, so it should be fine."

"Yeah, I'm sure it will." She looked at the clock and noticed it was getting close to lunch time. She remembered that she was supposed to meet her mom and grandma for lunch at Luke's, so she quickly kissed Isaac and got up from the couch. "Crap, I need to get going. I have to meet my mom and grandma for lunch. Call you later?" She said.

"Sure babe." He said as she walked out the door.

Minutes later, Janie walked into the diner and sat down next to her grandmother. She winced slightly as she sat down and her hip brushed against the chair. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice. "Hi" She greeted the pair.

"Hi sweetie" Lorelai said while giving her a quick hug as Rory smiled at her. Luke quickly came over and poured three cups of coffee before returning to the kitchen to cook their burgers.

"How's your Saturday going so far? You left the house early." Rory asked.

Janie looked her in the eyes and responded. "I was out with Isaac."

"You two are spending a lot of time together." Lorelai noted. "Is it getting serious?"

"Sort of" Janie responded. "It's fun right now and that's really all either of us is looking for. We're not talking about getting married or anything. We're certainly not going to be Stars Hollows next great love story." She explained while looking out the window. She spotted Drew walking through the square with Paige Thomas and scoffed. She pointed to them and said, "Now, those two, they might be a good story in a few years." She joked.

Rory and Lorelai watched Drew wrap his arm around the girl's shoulders as they continued on their way. Rory sighed and shook her head. Her children were growing up much too fast for her.

As soon as they had finished eating, Janie took off and said she was going back to Isaac's house. Rory watched her leaved and turned to Lorelai with a frown on her face.

"Can I ask you something?" Rory said to her mother.

"Sure hun, what's up?"

"Was I ever like that when I was Janie's age?" Rory asked.

"Well, not really. You had your moments once in a while, but never a continuous streak. I do remember a certain someone else acting similar to her at that age. I think you know him." Lorelai mused.

"Yes, we all know Jess' sullen teenage attitude is coming back to bite him. Karma truly is a bitch." Rory said before shaking her head. "This seems different to me. Janie's not just being a rebel. She's growing apart from Jess and I and the rest of the family too. It's like she doesn't like us anymore of something. I think she might still be upset that we're sending her to Chilton. I know she's been there for a couple years, but maybe she still resents us." Rory paused for a moment before saying what was really on her mind. "I feel like I'm losing her."

Lorelai looked at Rory sympathetically and folded her arms on the table top. "I'm sorry hun. It does seem like she's been distant lately, but I don't know that you're losing her. I'll try and talk to her about it later." Lorelai thought aloud.

"See, that's just it. You can talk to her about these things, but I can't. We used to be best friends, but it's like she completely hates me now. I don't know what I did wrong." Rory said sadly while looking down at her empty plate.

"You didn't do anything wrong Rory. She's a teenager, not a little girl. You have to give her some space and let her be herself for a while." Lorelai tried to explain.

"That's what I'm afraid of too. If I let her wander too far, she might not come back. I don't want her getting into something she can't get out of." Rory admitted.

"She'll be ok Rory. I know you're freaked out, but you're her mother, you're supposed to try and protect her, but you have to let her make some of her own mistakes." Lorelai sighed and stood up. She picked up her purse and pulled Rory's arm as she stood and led them out of the diner. They walked toward Lorelai's house as she tried to explain the situation to her daughter.

"Rory, I know you think you're losing Janie and that she hates you, but she doesn't and you're not losing her. She's still here; she didn't run away with her boyfriend and not speak to you for years. I know what it's like to lose a daughter." Lorelai said sadly.

Rory's heart sank at the memory and she reached over to hold Lorelai's hand. Lorelai wiped a tear from her eye and took a deep breath. "Janie is not going to leave you Rory." She assured Rory.

"How do I make sure she doesn't?" Rory asked. "I'm just so scared that there's nothing I can do anymore."

"I know, but you'll find a way to get through to her. You and Jess are great parents. You'll figure it out." Lorelai encouraged.

"I guess you're right." Rory sighed. "Why did Janie inherit Jess' bad traits?" She joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I think the more important question is why did you sleep with Jess and create said child." Lorelai joked back.

"eww. Mom that's kind of gross." Rory cringed.

"Well, you're the one that did it." Lorelai stated.

Rory just shook her head and followed Lorelai into the house.

Janie spent the summer working at The Dragonfly with her Grandmother. Lorelai had her doing various jobs and spent a lot of time explaining how to run a business. Janie was impressed with how much work it took to run the place. She really enjoyed spending time with her grandmother and looked forward to going to work each day.

Lorelai also took the opportunity to share some of her own personal journey with Janie and tried to impart some life wisdom to her. She noticed that Janie seemed to be going down a dangerous path and hoped their long talks and daily lunches would steer her in a different direction.

Janie found her talks with Lorelai to be a breath of fresh air in her life. Lorelai spoke with her like a best friend and treated her with respect, even when they disagreed. Janie opened up to her about many different things and was able to work out some of her inner angst. Lorelai kept telling her that it wasn't healthy to keep everything bottled up inside her.

Janie revealed her true feelings about many different things; things that she had been hiding for several years because she didn't want to discuss them with her parents. She loved her parents, but didn't feel like she could be completely honest with them. She finally found that with Lorelai and took the opportunity to share her animosity and resentment for Jordan. Lorelai was surprised because Janie always seemed to like her older brother. Janie explained that he just showed up one day and stole the show from her. She also felt like no one ever judged him and completely accepted him for who he was. She always felt like everyone expected her to be someone she wasn't, so she resented Jordan's freedom to be who he was and express himself in whatever manner he chose. She didn't feel like she was afforded the same freedom. Lorelai listened to her and heard everything she had to say before explaining that Jordan probably did have more freedom than she did. She also explained that it was because he didn't grow up in their family and everyone took extra care to make him feel welcome and tried really hard to adjust to everything. She said that it was easier to see Jordan as a man because he already was one when they met him. It was much harder for the family to see their little girl as a woman because they had known her as a little girl for so long. Janie realized the truth in Lorelai's words and agreed to be a bit more patient as everyone adjusted to her growing up.

Janie also discovered more of who she was and where she wanted to go with her life. She recognized that her current behavior would not help her reach her ultimate goals. She also realized that some of her behaviors were harmful to her health and could possibly prevent her from accomplishing her goals. So, she stopped smoking and drinking. She also stopped hanging out with many of the people who participated in those activities. Janie still maintained some of her tough girl exterior, but as school started again her outer shell began to slowly soften.

"Oh thank God." Janie said quietly while looking at three negative pregnancy tests. She exhaled and leaned back against the bathroom door. She set the tests down on the floor next to her and pulled her knees to her chest. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Her period had been a few days late and she assumed it was due to stress, but pregnancy was also a possibility. She and Isaac hadn't been as careful lately as they should have.

Relief washed over Janie as she thought about the situation she almost found herself in. She was starting her senior year of high school and in the process of applying to colleges. Janie knew she wanted to have a family some day, but she wanted it to be after she'd graduated college, had a good job, and was married or at least in a serious relationship with someone. She certainly didn't want to have a kid in high school with Isaac. He was a nice guy, but she didn't really see them dating for much longer. He just didn't seem like the kind of guy she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Plus, she'd recently discovered that his bad habits ran deep and were more than teenage rebellion or curiosity. This pregnancy scare added one more reason for Janie to break things off with Isaac.

She sighed and slowly got up off the bathroom floor. She wrapped the tests up in a few paper towels and stuffed them into her sweatshirt. She didn't want to throw them in the trash in case someone else saw. She'd stuff them into her purse and get rid of them next time she went out.

As Janie started her senior year of high school, she started to research colleges. She pretended to not be very interested when her parents tried to discuss it with here, but she secretly dreamed of going to Harvard. She had always gotten good grades in school. Her parents insisted she go to Chilton for high school, which she resisted at first, but after a few months, everyone took notice of how successful she was at the school. She was getting straight A's and participating in the debate team.

Christmas neared and Janie secretly waited to hear back on her early application to Harvard. She came through the door just before dinner time one Friday afternoon to find her mother standing in the kitchen with tears in her eyes holding a thick envelope. Janie stopped short at the sight.

"What's going on?" She asked startling Rory.

"This came for you." She said while extending the thick envelop to Janie. "It's from Harvard." She smiled.

Janie snatched it and ripped it open. She quickly scanned the page and smiled. Rory waited for several minutes before finally saying, "Well, what does it say?"

"I got in." Janie beamed.

"You got into Harvard!" Rory squealed while Janie nodded. Rory rushed over and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you Jane." She said while pulling back. She went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of champagne she kept in there for special occasions. She poured two glasses and handed one to her daughter who looked at her with a skeptical expression. "We're celebrating." Rory explained and clinked her glass against Janie's.

Jess walked into the kitchen look at the two of them with a confused expression on his face. Rory smiled and nudged Janie. "You tell him." She prodded.

Janie looked at her father and smiled. "I got into Harvard." She said while holding up the acceptance letter.

"That's great Janie!" Jess exclaimed while giving her a big hug. Rory poured another glass of champagne and handed it to him.

"Here, we're celebrating." Rory explained while Jess took the glass.

"Here's to Janie." He said while raising his glass. They all clinked their glasses together and sipped the beverage.

"Where's Isaac. We should call him over to celebrate." Rory asked.

Janie looked down for a moment. "Um, actually, we broke up." She said.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie." Rory said.

"It's ok. I kind of got tired of him. He's not going to college or making any serious plans about his future, so I got a little bored with him." She explained while cringing. "I know it sounds kind of cruel, but I didn't want to be with someone who didn't want similar things as me, you know?"

"I get that." Rory said while nodding in understanding. She was impressed with her daughter's sudden interest in the future and what seemed like a desire to accomplish something for herself.

Jess tried not to smile, but couldn't help himself. Janie noticed and softly hit his arm. "Don't be so happy Dad. Geez" She smirked.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice of me." Jess said and Janie just shook her head.

Janie finished drinking the remaining champagne in her glass before saying, "Hey, I'm going to go over to grandma and grandpa's house to share the news. Is that ok?"

"Sure, go ahead. I'm sure they'll be thrilled." Rory said as Janie exited the kitchen. She turned to look at Jess with a shocked expression. "Did you see that coming?" She asked him.

"Not at all." Jess said. "I'm happy though. Seems like that attitude is wearing off. I'm really happy she wants to go to Harvard."

"Yeah, I'm totally thrilled." Rory smiled. "Things are going to be just fine." She said while giving him a quick kiss and pulling him into a tight hug.

**A/N: Please Review. I'd love to hear what you think of this.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Here's a long chapter for you! Remember, we're taking big time jumps and looking at the kids as they grow up.**

Jess knocked on Drew's bedroom door and waited a few seconds before opening the door slowly and entering. Drew was lying on his bed listening to music and looking at a magazine.

"Hey. We need to talk." Jess said while shutting the door behind him.

"If you're here to discuss what I think you are, I'm not changing my mind." The young man said stubbornly as he turned down the music and folded his arms over his chest.

"Look, I know you don't want to change schools." Jess said in a fatherly tone. "But, I don't necessarily understand your reasoning. All you said is that you really like going to Stars Hollow High and don't want to switch to Chilton. I know you like it there, but your mother and I really want you to get the best education possible and we feel that sending you to Chilton with your sister is the best choice."

"Yeah, best choice for who?" Drew scoffed. "Just because Janie's been going there doesn't mean I have to."

"True. However, your mom and I would really like to see you go there as well." Jess insisted. "Drew, be honest with me for a second. What's the real reason you don't want to go?" He asked.

Drew sighed and paused for a moment before revealing the truth. "Paige is the real reason I don't want to go to Chilton."

Jess nodded his head and took a seat in Drew's desk chair. "You've been seeing her a lot over the past year."

"Yeah, I really like her." Drew admitted while looking down.

"Ok. So, you don't want to miss out on seeing her at school?" Jess questioned trying to dig deeper.

"That and if I'm at Chilton I'll be studying way more, so we can't spend as much time together." He said and continued, "She'll probably find someone else if I'm not around as much anymore."

Jess nodded in understanding. "I get that. You know, you and I are a lot more alike than you realize." Jess explained to his son. "Your mom was going to Chilton when I met her. I thought there was no way in hell that she'd ever spend time with a loser like me."

"How does that make you and I similar? I'm not some loser. I get good grades." Drew asked.

"You're not a loser like I was. The point I'm trying to make is that we found a way to spend time together even though she went to Chilton. She was super dedicated to her school work and made that a priority, but also found time to hang out with me. We probably spent a little too much time together, but she still graduated valedictorian of her class." Jess said proudly.

"I know, but I don't want to make those sacrifices to spend time with Paige. I'd rather make her the priority and just keep going to the same school. I get good grades, I'm not really interested in going to an ivy league school, so what's the big deal?" Drew said.

Jess sighed and tried to explain. "Look Drew. The bottom line is that your mother and I want the best for you. We don't want you to look back and regret not going to a better school. I wish I'd had the chance to go to a school like Chilton."

"But you're doing just fine now. You own a business and make a good living. You never went to college." Drew said.

"I know and it would have been a lot easier if I'd had a college education. I had to learn everything the hard way. I want it to be easier for you. Plus, the world is different now and you really need a college degree to get a good job." Jess tried to reason with him. "Look. Just give Chilton a try, ok? Go there for a year and if it doesn't go well and you have a lot of major problems, you can switch back to Stars Hollow High. Deal?" Jess offered.

Drew thought for a moment before answering. "Deal."

"Good. Just to make it clear though, you've got to talk to Paige and work out an arrangement between the two of you. You also have to try your best in school. You can't just half ass it and give up. Ok?"

"Ok. I'll give it a shot." Drew agreed.

"Good." Jess said while standing up and walking to the door. "Remember that your mom and I are here to talk or help you with homework or whatever." He said while opening the door and leaving.

Drew sat back on the bed and turned the music up. He really hoped things worked out because he was going to do whatever it took to be with Paige. He smiled just thinking about her before quickly shaking his head. 'Dude you got it bad' He thought to himself.

"Hey" Drew said while entering the kitchen one Saturday morning. Rory and Jess both looked up from their coffee and smiled at him.

"You're up early Drew." Rory said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, um, I was actually hoping to talk to you both before everyone else got up." Drew said while taking a seat at the table across from his mom and dad.

"Sure, you can always talk to us. Is something wrong?" Jess said.

"No. Everything's fine." Drew quickly assured them. "I wanted to talk to you about Paige and I. I'm going to ask her to marry me." He blurted out.

Jess and Rory were both taken off guard and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Is she pregnant?" Jess asked.

"What? No!" Drew scoffed. "Do you think that's the only reason I'd marry her?" He said with a look of disgust on his face.

"Whoa, calm down Drew. Your father didn't mean to imply anything. We know you love Paige very much." Rory assured him while reaching over to hold Jess' hand.

"I'm sorry bud. I didn't mean to imply anything." Jess apologized. "So, you want to marry Paige." He said and took a deep breath. "That's a really big step. Have you given it a lot of thought?"

"Yes, I have." Drew responded. "I've been thinking about it for a couple of months actually. I even went out and bought this." He said while pulling a black velvet ring box out of his pocket. He set the closed box on the table in front of his parents. They stared at it for a few moments before Rory reached out and picked it up.

"Wow." She said as she opened the box. It was a white gold band with a princess cut 1/4th caret diamond.

"You really are serious." Jess said while examining the ring.

"Yeah. Like I said before, I really love Paige. We've talked about getting married in the future and what our lives would be like together. I figured we might as well start sooner rather than later." Drew said while noticing objections arising in his parents faces. "Hold on. Before you say that we're too young and it will be too hard and that we should at least wait until we're done with college I want you to hear me out." He waited until his parents both nodded for him to go on. "Ok, well, we both want to go to college at Connecticut State University so we can still be close to family. We'll get an apartment or something close to campus and we'll work to pay our way through school. I've already decided that I want to be a teacher. Paige keeps talking about how she wants to be a doctor. I know it will be hard to support her and a family on a teacher's salary, but Paige and I don't need much to be happy." He said and stopped to let his parents react.

"Sounds like you two have spent a lot of time thinking about the future." Rory said. She smiled at Jess and said, "I remember those days."

Jess smiled back and her before turning back to Drew. "Ok, so let's work through this a little more, just for the sake of giving your old man some reassurance that you've thought it all through." He said as Drew nodded. "You and Paige graduate from high school. You want to get married that summer?"

"Yeah, I know it's only about six months away, but I think we should get married before college rather than part way through."

"Ok. Wait, how old is Paige? You're eighteen, but is she?" Jess asked.

"She'll be eighteen in May." Drew stated.

"So, after you get married, you want to get an apartment and go to school. Have you both talked about the demands of the programs you want to do?" Rory asked.

"We've actually talked about it a lot. We know school's going to be demanding, but it's what we need to do get to where we want to be. I think it will actually be good for both of us."

"What about after college?" Jess asked.

"Well, hopefully we'll get jobs." Drew joked. "No, actually I'm thinking of getting a Masters degree before my first teaching job or during the first couple years of teaching. It would just depend on financing. Paige would be going to medical school then and starting a residency after that. So, we've got a lot to do before we're set in our careers." He explained.

"Do you both want kids at some point?" Rory asked.

"Yes. We do, but we both agreed that we really need to get through school, masters programs, and medical school before we have kids."

"What if having kids doesn't go according to your schedule?" Jess asked.

"Well, then we'd figure it out. I'm not really sure what we'd do because it would depend on when the kid came along. I guess we'd just do whatever made the most sense to us." Drew thought.

"Ok. Sounds like you have a good plan Son." Jess said.

"Yeah, I know you can never have everything completely worked out, but it sounds like you're both on the same page, so that's good. Do you know if Paige has talked with her parents about this?" Rory asked.

"I don't know. I'm sure she's discussed some of this stuff with her mom, but I don't know."

"Well, when are you going to ask her?" Jess said.

"Today. I'm going to take her out for breakfast and then we'll probably walk over to the bridge at the lake. We like to sit and have long talks there, so it seems like a good spot to pop the question." Drew informed them.

"Wow. You have that planned out. Good thing we're giving you our blessing since you're proposing today." Jess smirked. "You know, your Mom and I used to spend quite a bit of time sitting on that bridge talking about the future."

Drew smiled at them before scrunching up his face. "Please tell me you didn't do anything dirty there."

Rory and Jess both thought for a moment while Drew became more nervous. "Well…" Rory said.

"Oh gross!" Drew said in disgust and started leave.

"Wait Drew, I was just kidding." Rory said before laughing at him.

"Yeah, it's not like we conceived your sister there or anything." Jess joked to which Rory scoffed and slapped his arm. Drew just rolled his eyes at them.

"I'm going to go. Thanks for listening and for your support." Drew said while moving to leave the kitchen.

"Good luck!" Rory and Jess both shouted after him.

"Did you see that coming?" Rory turned and asked Jess.

"Nope. I think by now, I've learned to stop expecting things and just take 'em as they come." Jess joked.

"Yeah. I'm happy for them. I know they're young, but I think they'll be just fine." Rory said.

"I think you're right." Jess said while getting up to refill their coffee cups.

"Well, Mr. Andrew Lucas Mariano, how does it feel to be married?" Paige asked Drew as they lay in bed the morning after their wedding.

"It feels pretty damn good. I think it's mostly because I'm married to Mrs. Paige Elizabeth Mariano." Drew said while smiling at her.

"I still can't believe we're married!" She squealed.

He chuckled and pulled her close to him. She sighed and rested her head against his chest. Drew held her tight and ran his hand through her curly brown hair. "Thank you" He said suddenly.

She shifted her body and looked up at him with confusion in her dark blue eyes.

"For marrying me. Thank you for marrying me." He said softly.

"You're welcome." She said while giving him a big smile before leaning in to kiss him.

Drew walked into Stars Hollow High School early one fall morning. He was wearing a shirt, tie, and nice slacks and carried a leather briefcase his wife had recently given him. He walked to the office and was greeted by the principal.

"Good morning Mr. Mariano." The principal said while shaking Drew's hand. "Ready for your first day as an English teacher here?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Drew said.

"Ok, well, follow me and we'll go to your classroom." He said while exiting the office and walking down the hall. Drew followed as they walked to a classroom and the principal opened the door. "Well, here we are. This will be your permanent room. There is a copy of your class schedule on the desk, but I'm sure you already know it by now. Let me know if you need anything." He said while starting to walk away. "Good luck Drew." He said before finally disappearing.

"Thanks." Drew called after him.

Drew walked over to the desk and set his briefcase down. He sat in the chair and looked at the clock on the back wall. His students would be arriving in thirty minutes. He opened his briefcase and pulled out several stacks of paper. Drew then tucked his briefcase into the bottom drawer of the desk and walked over to the whiteboard. He wrote "Mr. Mariano" on the board and looked at it for a little while. He really wanted to write "Drew" instead, but the school probably wouldn't like him being so informal with his students. He felt that "Mr. Mariano" made him sound much older than twenty three, but it would have to do for now. He walked around the room and thought back to when he attended this very same high school. He'd only been there for a year before transferring to Chilton, but he had fond memories of that year and when he'd met Paige here. She had graduated from Stars Hollow High and was followed by her younger brother. Her youngest sister, Jenny, was in her senior year and would be in Drew's class this year. He thought it was a little weird at first, but soon realized that it would be weirder for Jenny to have her brother-in-law as her senior year English teacher.

Drew walked back to the desk and sat down until the halls of the school filled with students and the first bell rang. His classroom soon filled with freshmen as the second bell rang. He stood up and walked to the front of the class while surveying the group of nervous looking teenagers.

"Good morning. Welcome to Stars Hollow High. I'm Mr. Mariano and this is your freshman English class." He walked over to the desk and picked up a one of the stacks of paper. He started passing them out before explaining "This is the syllabus for our class. You can see an outline of what we'll be covering and the assignments you'll have over the year. I've got rough due dates on there right now, but I'll be handing out a calendar each month with the exact due dates so plan to follow that." He walked back over to the desk and picked up the attendance sheet. He went down the list and placed a checkmark next to each student's name as he called it out and they responded.

"Are there any questions before we begin?" He asked while looking around the room. Seeing that no one seemed to have any questions, he continued. "Well, how about I tell you a bit about myself before we get down to business?" Everyone nodded in agreement and he began again. "Like I said before, I'm Mr. Mariano. I actually have the most in common with this class because this is my first day too. I graduated from Connecticut State University last year and this is my first full time teaching job. I did my student teaching here last year, but it was with Mr. Montgomery, the history teacher. I'm also going to be working on a Masters degree over the next two years, so I also still a student. I grew up in Venice Beach, CA until I was about eleven years old and my family moved to Stars Hollow. My mom grew up here and my grandparents have lived here forever. My wife grew up here too. She's going to medical school right now, so we're both very busy." He finished and looked around the room. "Ok, enough about me, let's talk about some British literature." The students groaned quietly and Drew smiled at them.

Around noon, Drew walked over to the diner and took a seat at the counter. Will Danes walked up with an order pad and looked at him. "How's the first day going so far?" He asked.

"Pretty good. Could I get a cheeseburger and fries to go?" Drew said.

"Sure. It'll be right out." Will said while going back to the kitchen to start on Drew's order.

"Well, if it isn't Stars Hollow's newest English teacher." Lorelai said after entering the diner and seeing Drew at the counter. "How's the first day Mr. Mariano?" She said and smiled at him while taking a seat next to him.

"Hey Grandma. It's going good so far." Drew said. "I just ran over to grab some lunch real quick. I forgot my lunch at home." He said.

"Oh, sad. You forgot your lunch on the first day of school. You should have called me I would have picked it up for you." She said.

"No, it's fine. Paige actually texted me earlier and asked if she should bring it. I'll just save it for tomorrow, no need to go through all that trouble." Drew explained. "Plus, Paige has been working long night shifts at the hospital, so she should get some sleep during the day."

Lorelai nodded as Will came out of the kitchen with a to go bag for Drew. He poured a cup of coffee for his mom and shook his head as Drew pulled some money out of his wallet. "It's on the house today."

"Thanks Will." Drew said while getting up off the stool. "See you both later." He said before walking out of the diner and back to the high school.

Later that night Drew finished cooking dinner as Paige walked in the front door of their apartment.

"Hey you." She said while going over to him and kissing him. "How was the first day?"

"It was good." He smiled at her. "No problems or anything."

"Good. You didn't have to cook dinner." She said while looking around the kitchen.

"You had class and I thought you'd be hungry when you got home. It's no big deal." Drew said.

"Well, thank you. It looks good." She said before pulling dished out of the cabinets and setting the kitchen table.

They discussed various aspects of each other's day as they ate dinner before Paige finally changed the subject. "Do you think we should move?" She asked Drew.

"Why? This apartment is close to school for you and the hospital. It's only a fifteen minute drive to Stars Hollow."

"I guess you're right. I was just thinking it would be nice if we bought a house or something." She said.

"Oh, a house. Yeah, that would be nice." He said while realizing what she was getting at. "I think it might be best if we waited another year before buying a place. I'd really like to work toward paying off medical school and part of my masters degree before we buy a house. This apartment is cheap, so we can actually afford to pay for most of your medical school on my salary."

"That's true. We should probably do the responsible thing and pay for school first." She nodded.

Drew looked at her and smiled. "Tell you what; next summer, we'll go crazy looking for a house. We'll search all over Stars Hollow until we find the perfect place. Ok?"

"Sounds like a plan." Paige smiled at him.

"Dr. and Mr. Mariano." Drew said while looking at Paige's newly awarded diploma from medical school.

"Does it say that?" She asked playfully while looking over his shoulder.

"No, but that's what we are now." He stated. "Does that sound weird?"

"Not to me, but some people will probably think so." She said before giving him a kiss.

"Congratulations babe." He said while looking into her eyes.

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your help, you know. Thank you for all your support through this." Paige said.

"You're welcome. I love you." He said before giving her another kiss. As their lips parted, Drew put his hand on her stomach. "I love you for this too." He said.

Paige smiled at him and looked down at his hand. "You don't think anyone's noticed yet do you?" She asked him.

"I don't think so. My parents and grandparents haven't said anything yet."

"Neither have mine. I'm starting to show." She said while they both examined the small baby bump.

"We're still going to tell them at your graduation party, right?" Drew asked.

"Yes. If we don't then we'll have to wait for the baby to tell them." She joked. "I'm almost four months along now. I think they might be kind of mad that we haven't said anything yet."

"Well, you wanted to make sure nothing would go wrong and until after graduation. Neither of us planned for this to happen right now, so it's understandable that we didn't tell them right away." Drew tried to explain.

"Right. Like either of our families are going to buy that." She snickered.

"I guess I'll have to tell them the truth." Drew joked. "Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, but I forgot the condom, so…" He said while pointing to her baby bump.

"Do not tell it like that." Paige said while playfully swatting his hand.

Later that day, Paige and Drew's families, friends, and most of Stars Hollow gathered in the town square for Paige's graduation party. The square was specially decorated for the occasion with lights strung around to light the night sky.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time as Paige's father, Eric Thomas, walked up the steps of the gazebo. He tapped on the microphone in his hand and waited for everyone to quiet down before saying, "Thank you so much everyone for coming out to celebrate Paige's graduation from medical school." Everyone cheered loudly before he continued. "I just wanted to offer a very special congratulations and job well done from my wife and I to our lovely daughter. Congratulations Dr. Mariano." He said as everyone cheered.

Paige and Drew walked up the steps and thanked him before Drew took the microphone. "Thank you everyone. It means a lot to us that you all came out." He looked at Paige and she nodded for him to continue. "We've all congratulated Paige on her new title as Dr. Mariano." Everyone cheered again as Drew motioned for them to quiet down. "I'm very excited to say that that's not the only new title my beautiful wife is going to be going by." He paused for a moment while everyone looked around in confusion. "In fact, we both have new titles." He said while wrapping his arm around her and pointing to the baby bump with the hand that was holding the microphone. "This little one is going to be calling us Mom and Dad in a few months." They both beamed as everyone looked at them in shock and then quickly broke out into a slew of "Congratulations" and engulfed them in hugs and kisses.

Drew walked over to the nursery window and stared at his newborn Son. He smiled as he looked at the sleeping baby with "Baby Boy Mariano" written on a card on the outside of the small crib. A nurse walked over to his son's crib and began to move it away from the window. She looked up and saw Drew looking at her as she wheeled his son away. She motioned for him to wait where he was. She soon came around a corner nearby pushing the little baby.

"I'm taking back to your wife's room. He'll want to eat once he wakes up." She said while walking to Paige's room. Drew followed her into the room at watched as the sleeping boy's crib was placed next to his mother, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed. As he was about to kiss her on the cheek, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He quietly left the room and looked at a text message from his mother. She and his dad were anxiously waiting to meet their grandchild. Drew walked down the hall and into the waiting room. A large group of family had gathered to wait. Everyone seemed to be sleeping except Rory and Jess. The instantly stood up and walked over to Drew.

"Well?" Jess asked him.

Drew smiled and proudly announced "It's a boy."

Rory and Jess both smiled proudly as they took turns hugging Drew.

"You want to meet him?" Drew asked.

"Yes. Let's go." Jess said while they all walked toward the doors of the maternity ward. Drew escorted them to Paige's room and paused before going in. "Hang on just a second. Let me see if they're still sleeping." He poked his head in the door and looked at his wife sitting up holding their son in her arms. She smiled at Drew as he walked over to them. "I have a very anxious Grandma and Grandpa outside waiting to meet their first grandchild. Are you up for visitors?" He asked her. She nodded and he walked back to the door and led Jess and Rory into the room.

Jess and Rory made their way over to the bed where Paige was and took in the sight of the new baby. She turned in the bed to allow them to see the baby better. They both had tears in their eyes as they examined the boy.

"He's absolutely beautiful." Rory said.

"You want to hold him Grandma?" Paige asked and smiled at her. Rory nodded and sat in a nearby chair. Drew walked over to Paige and took the boy from her arms before handing him to his mother. Jess stood near the chair and glanced down at the baby.

"What's his name?" Jess asked.

Paige smiled and said "Caleb Andrew Mariano".

"Caleb." Rory said while looking at the boy. "I like it. It suits him."

Jess looked up and smiled at the new parents. "Congratulations you two. He's beautiful."

Minutes later, Lorelai and Luke entered the room with balloons and flowers.

"Hey there." Luke said while placing the flowers next to Paige's bed and tying the balloons to the table. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to look at the baby that was still in Rory's arms. Lorelai pulled a chair up next to Rory and looked at the sleeping baby.

"Here, you take a turn." Rory said while shifting carefully in her chair. She passed Caleb to his great grandmother and watched as Lorelai held the boy.

Drew smiled and made the introductions quietly. "Grandma, Grandpa, this is your great-grandson; Caleb Andrew Mariano."

"Congratulations Drew. He's perfect." Luke said while shaking Drew's hand.

Lorelai looked over at Rory and smiled. "How the heck did I get to be a great grandmother and you a grandmother? Are we seriously that old?" She joked.

"I'm afraid so." Rory responded. "It's totally worth it though. I've only been a grandmother for a few hours and I already love it." Rory beamed. "It seems like just the other day Drew was that small." She reminisced.

As Rory was deep in thought, Emily and Richard Gilmore slowly made their way into the room. They both seemed somewhat frail, but had otherwise aged well. They both looked almost giddy as they came upon the sight of the newest addition to the family. Rory quickly vacated her seat and allowed Emily to take it.

"You look good holding that baby." Emily said to Lorelai while Richard moved closer to them.

"Here, take him." Lorelai said while carefully placing the baby in Emily's arms. She stood up and allowed Richard to sit in her chair. "Mom, Dad, this is Caleb Andrew Mariano." She said while pointing to the baby. Emily and Richard smiled at the boy and congratulated his parents.

"So Lorelai, how does it feel to be a great-grandmother?" Emily joked.

"ugh. I feel like I should be getting a walker or a cane or something. Maybe a hip replacement while I'm here at the hospital." She joked.

"Well, enjoy it Lorelai. I think being a great-grandmother is even better than being a grandmother, if that's possible. You really get to spoil the child and no one can tell you not to." She said while gently rocking the sleeping baby. "He's so precious Drew and Paige." She said.

Everyone continued to admire the new baby as Drew and Paige silently observed. Drew sat next to her on the bed and held her hand. He quietly whispered "I love you" and kissed her forehead.


	28. Chapter 28

Alex walked into his London flat and smiled as his three year old son Jonathan ran up to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around the boy before stepping back and ruffling the boy's hair.

Alex had been living in London for the last four years after spending two years traveling the world. He didn't feel like going to college right after high school, so he took the next two years to explore the world. His parents were not pleased when he first announced he wouldn't be attending college, but figured that it was his choice to make. After all of his travels, Alex had settled down in London and began writing his own blog. The blog had done well so Alex started writing travel books and articles for various travel magazines in addition to the blog. Eventually, Rory and Jess learned that a traveling had been the right educational choice for Alex.

One thing they didn't really like was Alex's distance from the rest of the family. Not just his physical distance, but his emotional distance. He hadn't been home since high school and phone calls were often few and far between. Rory and Jess both read Alex's blog religiously and tried to keep in touch as best as they could. They constantly wanted to fly over to visit him, but he always refused the offer.

Alex walked into the kitchen with Jonathan and smiled at his wife, Elisabeth, who was busy cooking dinner. He walked over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"mmm. This looks really good." He said while surveying the kitchen.

"Thanks love." Elisabeth said to him. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what is it?" Alex asked while setting the table.

"Are you sure we should be surprising your parents with this?" She asked tentatively.

"It'll be fine. They'll be shocked, but in the end it will be a heck of a lot easier than doing it over the phone." He explained.

"Tell me again why you never told them about Jonathan and me?" She asked with raised eye brows.

He stopped and sighed while running his hands through his hair. "It's complicated. I've never been super close with my parents like the rest of my siblings. I don't know, I guess it was just easier to live my life in London and leave everyone else out of it." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Elisabeth as he finished.

She shook her head and said "Well, they will certainly be surprised when we show up on their doorstep tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm thinking it might not go over so well at first, but they'll love you and they've love Jonathan, so what else really matters?"

"Well, I think the fact that the three of us are moving to Stars Hollow without telling your family is a really big deal Alex." She insisted.

"Just chill out about it, ok? We've gone over this a million times. I want to raise Jonathan in Stars Hollow, so we're moving there to do that. You and I both want what's best for him, so we agreed that this move would be good. Are you having second thoughts?" He said while crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, you're right. It's the best option. We could just move out into the English countryside and be closer to my parents, but no. Stars Hollow is the best choice, so that's what we're doing." She said snidely.

They both took a few deep breaths before continuing with dinner.

Alex took a deep breath as the cab pulled up to his parent's house. He helped Elisabeth and Jonathan out of the cab and collected their bags before walking up to the house. Alex took another deep breath and took a step toward the door before ringing the doorbell. Elisabeth and Jonathan stood behind him and waited until Rory came to the door.

"Alex!" She shouted while throwing her arms around his neck and tightly embracing him. He gave her a quick hug and released her. She turned around and yelled "Jess! Alex is here!" before grabbing his arm and trying to pull him inside the house.

"Hold on a second Mom." Alex said as he turned to reveal who was standing behind him. "Mom, I'd like to introduce you to two very special people. This is my wife Elisabeth and this is our son Jonathan."

Rory just starred at the family with wide eyes while Jess came to the door.

"Alex!" He said while giving him a quick bear hug. "It's really good to see you." He looked at Rory before looking back at Alex.

"Dad, this is Elisabeth, my wife, and our son Jonathan." Alex said as Jess's eyes went wide.

Rory finally regained the ability to speak and extended her hand to Elisabeth. "It's nice to meet you Elisabeth, I'm Rory and this is Jess, Alex's father."

"It's lovely to meet you as well." She spoke in her polite British accent. She bent down to Jonathan and put her hands on his shoulders. "Jonathan, sweetheart, this is your grandma and grandpa. Remember how we talked about them and your daddy showed you a picture of them?" The boy nodded in understanding and looked up at Jess and Rory.

"Hi Jonathan." Rory said while looking at her grandson.

"Hey buddy. What do you say we go play in the backyard?" Jess said. The little boy nodded and reached up to take Jess' hand as they entered the house and walked toward the backdoor.

"Please, come in." Rory said and ushered Alex and Elisabeth inside with their bags. "How long are you all staying for?"

"Actually, we're here for good. We're moving back to Stars Hollow. The rest of our stuff will be here in a few days." Alex explained.

"Oh, wow." Rory said. "I'm sorry Elisabeth, I'm being rude. Would you like a cup of coffee?" She said while turning quickly from Alex to her.

"I actually don't drink coffee. Do you have tea?" She said hesitantly.

"Yes, it'll be up in a second." Rory said and walked into the kitchen.

"She seems mad. I think I should go talk to her." Alex explained. "Wait here for us?"

Elisabeth nodded and took a seat on the couch as Alex walked into the kitchen. Rory looked up at him as she finished putting the tea pot on the stove and turning on the coffee maker.

"Mom, are you upset?" Alex asked quietly.

"Upset? Why would I be upset Alex? Maybe because my son, whom I haven't seen in almost six years, shows up with a wife and son and tells me they're all moving here. Why didn't you say something?" She asked with a hurt tone in her voice.

Alex rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and sighed. "I don't know. I hadn't told you so I thought it would be awkward over the phone."

"Well, it's pretty awkward now." She hissed.

Alex sighed heavily and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have done it like this."

Rory sighed too and walked over to him and gave him a hug. "It's ok Alex. I was just caught off guard." She released him and poured a cup of coffee for each of them. She poured hot water into a mug and added a tea bag before taking her coffee cup and the tea into the living room.

"Thank you" Elisabeth said as Rory handed her the cup. Alex sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Rory noticed as Elisabeth pulled away from him slightly and shifted in her seat.

"So, you have a son. How old is he?" Rory asked trying to start a conversation.

"Jonathan's three." Elisabeth answered. "He's a handful, but we love him."

"Yeah, he's always running around and getting into stuff." Alex added.

"Sounds like he takes after the Mariano side of the family then." Rory joked.

The stiff conversation continued for almost an hour before Jess came into the living room with a sleeping Jonathan in his arms. Alex quickly stood up and took the boy from his father's arms and carried him up to his old bedroom.

Jess and Rory cooked dinner and silently observed Alex and Elisabeth's interactions all night. After dinner, Alex and Elisabeth both went to bed early since they were tired from traveling.

Later that evening, Jess and Rory lay in bed staring at the ceiling.

"What do you think is really going on with Alex?" Rory asked with concern evident in her voice.

"I don't know, but there is something there." Jess said. "Alex seemed distant and like he was hiding something."

"Yeah. He's been somewhat distant since he moved out, but this is different. It's like he's become a different person." Rory said sadly. "Plus, I think he and Elisabeth are having some problems. I'm not sure if it's a fight or if it's deeper, but there is something going on."

"I know. I sensed that too. I don't like this situation." Jess said. "It just doesn't feel right for some reason."

They both lay there in silence until finally falling asleep some time later.

The next several weeks crept by with a cloud hanging over Alex and his family. They bought a house and quickly moved in, but things didn't really improve. Jess and Rory tried to spend as much time as possible with Alex, Elisabeth, and Jonathan, but they kept being pushed away by Alex.

Almost two months after their arrival, Elisabeth knocked on Jess and Rory's front door early one morning. After several minutes, a very tired looking Jess answered the door in his pajamas. He looked at Elisabeth and then noticed Jonathan clinging to her leg. Elisabeth quickly pushed Jess aside and set a suitcase on the floor just as Rory was walking down the stairs and pulled her robe closed.

"Elisabeth? What's going on?" Rory asked while walking over to Jonathan and picking him up. The sleepy boy quickly feel asleep in her arms.

"I'm going back to England." Elisabeth stated while Jess and Rory looked at her with wide eyes. "I just can't take it anymore."

"What do you mean?" Jess asked.

"I thought I could change him, but it's just not possible. He promised me that moving here would change him and it would be the best thing for Jonathan, but he's never going to change." Elisabeth said while starting to walk out the door.

"Wait." Jess stopped her. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with Alex?"

"You mean you don't know?" Elisabeth asked. Jess shook his head and looked at her for more information. She took a deep breath before explaining. "Well, he's got a problem with pain pills. I didn't know about it until after we were married. He tends to shut the world out and just stay away from people when he's high, but he's becoming a complete zombie lately. I only stayed with him after I found out about the problem because Jonathan came along. I'm really sorry, but I just can't do this." She said while opening the front door as Jess and Rory starred at her in disbelief. "Alex can't take care of Jonathan on his own and I just can't have him with me right now. I need to get my head straight before having a kid with me." She said. As she was about to walk out the door, she turned and walked back to Rory and Jonathan. She kissed Jonathan's head before turning back to the door and quickly exiting. Jess walked out the door after her and stood on the porch as she got into a cab and quickly drove off.

Jess turned and walked back into the house and looked at Rory with a mix of confusion and disbelief. Rory held Jonathan tighter as he nuzzled his face into her neck.

"What the hell just happened?" Jess asked her.

"I think we just learned what's been going on with Alex." She said. "Do you really think that was the whole truth?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out." Jess said while quickly jogging up the stairs. He returned a minute later, fully dressed, with keys and wallet in hand. "I'm going over to Alex's place. I'll be back after I figure this out." He said as Rory nodded.

After Jess left, Rory sighed and carried the sleeping boy upstairs and tucked him into Alex's old bed. She went downstairs and into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. After it had finished brewing, she poured a cup for herself and sat at the kitchen table. She drank half of it and was starring into the remaining half when Lorelai entered the house and came into the kitchen.

"Hey, there you are." She said as Rory looked at her. "You weren't at Luke's this morning, I was worried. You never miss our coffee dates. Why are you still in your pajamas?" Lorelai quickly said.

"Huh?" Rory while coming out of her trance. "Oh, I'm sorry mom. I completely forgot about meeting you this morning." She got up and poured a cup of coffee for her mother as she took a seat at the table. Rory set the cup down in front of her before refilling her own cup. She sat back down and took a big sip of the coffee as Lorelai starred at her.

"What's wrong Rory?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shook her head and tried to think of a way to explain what had happened earlier. "Well, Elisabeth showed up around six am this morning. She dropped Jonathan off and said she was leaving Alex."

"What?" Lorelai said in disbelief. "She left? As in went back to London?"

"I guess. She got into a cab after leaving our house, so I assumed she was on her way to the airport." Rory said. "Jess went over to Alex's a while ago to figure out what's going on with him." She was about to continue, but she heard Jonathan upstairs crying and calling for his mother so she quickly got up and went upstairs.

A few minutes later, Rory walked down the stairs with Jonathan. He held her hand as she led him into the kitchen.

"Grammy!" He exclaimed when he saw Lorelai. He quickly ran over to where she was sitting and she pulled him up to sit on her lap.

"Hey buddy." Lorelai said while brushing his light brown hair out o his face.

"Coffee" He said while reaching for Lorelai's mug on the table. She pushed it away before he could grab it and Rory placed a cup of juice on the table for him.

"Jonathan, I don't have any sippy cups here, so you'll have to be extra careful with this cup, ok?" She explained to him as Lorelai helped him hold the cup and drink from it.

Jess entered the house just as Jonathan was finishing his breakfast. He quickly walked into the kitchen and threw a grocery sack full of pill bottles on the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "It's all true." He huffed. "I went over there and he was completely out of it. I found all these pills stashed throughout the house. I packed them all up before he even knew what I was doing. We got into a huge fight. I'm sure the neighbor's loved being woken up by us. I finally forced him to check into that drug rehab place in New Haven. I drove him there and made sure he checked in."

"Wow. I still can't believe it." Rory said while shaking her head.

"I thought this whole parenting thing was supposed to get easier once the kids grew up and moved out."

"Wait, what's happening?" Lorelai asked.

Jess sighed and walked over to where she and Jonathan sat. He greeted the boy and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running his hands through his hair. "How about we get you a bath and then some clean clothes?" Jonathan seemed to agree so Jess picked him up and carried him upstairs.

"Ok, seriously Rory, is what Jess said true?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, it is." Rory said while looking down. "I'm sorry I don't really know what's going on. We just found out about all this stuff this morning, so I'm trying to get my head around it all."

"So, the drug problem is why Elisabeth took off and left Jonathan with you?" 

"Apparently." Rory said. "It's so messed up. I think the worst part is that Jonathan's the one who's going to suffer the most. His mom took off and his dad can't even take care of himself."

"I know. It's crappy, but he's got you and he's got Jess. That's pretty darn good." Lorelai tried to encourage her. "Tell you what, I'll clean up the kitchen while you go take a shower and get dressed. We can go over to Alex's place and get some of Jonathan's stuff after that. Sound like a plan?"

"Yeah, Thanks mom." Rory said before giving her a hug and going upstairs.

Several months passed by before Jess and Rory were able to visit Alex. Elisabeth had called a few times, but never talked for long. Jonathan slowly got used to living with Rory and Jess.

Jess made the trip out to see Alex alone. He walked into the rehab center and asked the receptionist where to meet with Alex. She pointed him down the hall toward a meeting room. Jess quietly walked down the hall and stopped in the doorway of the meeting room. The room was set up to resemble a typical living room. Alex was sitting on a couch, but stood when he saw Jess standing in the doorway.

"Dad, it's really good to see you." Alex said while Jess crossed the room. They looked at each other for a moment before shaking hands and sitting on the couch.

"So, how's Jonathan been?" Alex asked.

"He's doing good. Misses his parents." Jess said. "How've you been?"

"Good. I've been following the program here. Been clean for almost three months."

"That's really good Alex. I'm proud of you." Jess said. "So, are they going to release you or whatever?"

"Actually, yeah. I'm being released in another two weeks. They've got me all set up to do aftercare and counseling once I'm out of here." He paused before continuing. "I wanted to meet you here today because I need to get some stuff settled before I move back."

"Ok." Jess said. "Your Mom and I have been taking care of all your bills and stuff, so you don't need to worry about that. Once you get back on your feet though, we'll expect you take it all back over."

"Thanks Dad. I appreciate that. I'll pay you guys back right away. I've got a savings account with a good amount of money in it. I'll write you a check right away just give me a total of what you've covered." He explained while Jess nodded. "I also wanted to talk to you about Jonathan. I'd like him to live with me."

"I don't know about that Alex. I know he's your son, but you're just getting out of rehab. Don't you think you should find a job and follow through with counseling before trying to take care of Jonathan too?" Jess said hesitantly.

"Dad, trust me. I can handle it." Alex said.

"That's just it Alex. I don't know if I can trust you. You've hidden most of your adult life from me and I'm just starting to get to know you again. A child is a big responsibility and I'm not sure you're ready for it." Jess said while looking at Alex's disappointed face. "I'm just trying to do what's right for Jonathan. He can't just move in with you and then come back to our place if it doesn't work out right away. I think you definitely need to be very involved in his life right away. I think you need to see him every day and demonstrate that you can support him. Once you've done all that, then I think he should move back in with you."

"Wait. You're telling me I can't have my son come live with me?" Alex said as anger rose within him. "He's my son. You can't take him from me."

"Alex, cool it. I'm not trying to take him from you. I just don't want him to get hurt. He's been through a lot the last couple months without you and Elisabeth and I don't want him to get hurt again. I'm only looking out for his best interest." Jess tried to explain.

Alex sighed and shook his head. "I guess you're right."

"He's only four years old Alex." Jess said.

"You mean three. He's three years old." Alex corrected him.

"No Alex. His birthday was two weeks ago. He's four now. You missed it." Jess said sadly. "I tried to call you, but I couldn't get through."

"Crap." Alex said. "I'm a horrible father. I missed my son's birthday. He must think I'm a total jerk."

"Well, I don't know if he thinks that, but he's definitely confused about what's going on. That's why I want to make sure your transition back to a normal life is smooth. I don't want you to be overwhelmed with caring for Jonathan while you're trying to learn how to live without the drugs. I think it would be bad for both of you if you took it all on at once." Jess said.

"You're right." Alex acknowledged. "I should do it one step at a time."

"I think that would be wise." Jess said. "I love you Alex. I want your recovery to be successful." Jess said before giving Alex a hug.

"Thanks Dad. I love you too." He pulled away before saying "I really appreciate everything you and Mom have done. I'm also sorry for how this has hurt you both. I really never meant for this to happen."

"You're welcome Alex. I'm always here for whatever you need. Your Mom and I want the best for you. All I ask is that you make this right Alex. Finish the treatment, do the counseling, see your son every day, get a job." Jess said.

"That's the plan. Thanks again Dad." Alex said as they both stood up.

"I'll come pick you up when they release you. Just give me a call and let me know when to come." Jess offered while giving Alex another hug. "Take of yourself Alex."

"Thanks Dad. I will." Alex said as Jess left.

True to his word, Jess returned when Alex was released from rehab a couple weeks later. They drove back to Stars Hollow in silence.

"Can we go to your house first so I can see Jonathan?" Alex asked quietly.

"Sure. We told him you were coming to visit today, so he's anxious to see you." Jess smiled. "I think everyone's excited to see you buddy. They've all missed you."

"I've missed them too." Alex said as they pulled into the driveway.

Alex and Jess quickly climbed the porch steps and walked to the front door. Alex immediately noticed Jonathan in the window waving as he walked up. He smiled and waved back as Jess opened the door and Jonathan came flying out and into his father's arms. "Daddy!" He exclaimed while wrapping his small arms around Alex's neck.

Alex stood up and held him tight. "Jonathan. I missed you so much buddy."

After a few minutes Alex set the boy down and held his hand as they walked into the house where Rory was waiting silently. Alex hugged her tightly before Jonathan tugged on his pants leg. He looked down at the boy and smiled. "What is it buddy?"

"Daddy, why were you gone for so long?" He asked innocently.

Alex looked at him before bending down to his level and trying to explain. "Well, I had to take care of some stuff for a while, but I'm back now. I'm not going anywhere."

"Did Mommy have to take care of stuff too?"

Alex sighed and tried to find the words to explain the reason for Elisabeth's absence. "Well, she did have some stuff to take care of, but it was different than Daddy's stuff." He looked up at Rory and Jess who shrugged back at him.

"Ok. When is she coming back?"

"I'm not sure Jonathan. We'll have to ask her next time she calls, ok?"

"Ok. If you ask her, maybe she'll come faster." Jonathan noted.

"Maybe." Alex said doubtfully.

"Hey Jonathan, why don't you go show your Daddy your room? He hasn't seen it yet." Rory said in an attempt to change the subject.

"Ok! Come on Daddy, I'll show you." Jonathan said while pulling on his hand to get him to follow. Alex smiled at Jess and Rory before following his son upstairs to his old room.

"What do you think?" Rory asked Jess

"I think it could go either way at this point. I'm hoping for the best. Alex seems to want to do the right thing, so we'll see." Jess said before taking her hand and walking upstairs with her.


	29. Chapter 29

"Congratulations my boy!" Richard said while patting Danny on the back. "How does it feel to be a Yale graduate?"

"It feels pretty good Pop." Danny responded while holding his diploma.

"I hear you found a job?" Emily asked him.

"Yes, I got an offer from an engineering firm in Hartford. It's only a group of three other engineers right now, but they're all really talented people, so it should grow quickly." He explained.

"Well, we're very proud of you Daniel." Emily said before giving him a hug.

"Hey, don't hog him." Lorelai said as she pushed her way through the crowd toward Richard, Emily, and Danny. She quickly wrapped her arms around her grandson and congratulated him. "I'm so proud of you Danny." She said while smiling at him.

"Thanks Grandma." He said while noticing Luke, Jess, and Rory walking up behind her. "There you all are. I thought we were going to have to send out a search party." He joked.

"Sorry, we got caught in the crowd." Jess said.

"Well, shall we get back to our house? I believe there is a party that's about to start." Emily said as everyone nodded and made their way to the parking lot.

Hours later, the party was winding down and the guests were starting to leave. Danny sighed and looked down into his drink as Emily quickly walked toward him with a young woman about his age.

"Daniel, I'd like you to meet someone." She said as he looked up at her. "This is Rachel Stevens. Her grandmother is in the DAR with me. She's a sophomore at Yale, have you two ever met before?"

"No, I don't think we have." Danny said. "It's nice to meet you Rachel, I'm Danny." He said while politely shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you also." Rachel said while smiling at him.

"If you'll both excuse me, I see someone who's drink needs to be freshened." Emily said while quickly walking away from them.

"Smooth." Danny said.

"Yeah, gotta love being set up at parties like this." She joked.

"Especially when you're the guest of honor." Danny joked. Rachel looked at him with wide eyes and was about to apologize when Danny shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I know what you mean. My great grandmother's parties are nice, but they can get a little stuffy. You want to step outside for a minute?"

"Sure. Look who's the smooth operator now." She joked as they walked toward the back porch.

"Ok, you caught me on that one. So, how many of these parties have your grandparents been taking you to in an effort to find you a boyfriend? I think my great-grandmother's managed to set me up with five girls since I started Yale." He joked as Rachel laughed.

"What, none of them were good enough for you?" She asked.

"Kind of." Danny admitted. "I actually dated two of them for a year each, but it just didn't work out. I don't really know why, it just didn't." He shrugged.

"I know what you mean. My grandmother keeps pestering me about why I'm not dating some perfect society guy at Yale. I'm honestly just trying to focus on school right now." She admitted.

Danny nodded and walked across the back porch toward the pool house as Rachel followed him. He smirked at her while opening the doors. The lights were off and it appeared that the pool house was off limits for this party. He shut the doors behind Rachel and found his way over to the drink cart in the dark.

"Are you going to turn the lights on?" Rachel asked.

"Nope. We can't hide out in here if the lights are on." Danny explained. "Plus, this way we can pretend to be rebels." He joked while pouring a couple of drinks. He handed one to Rachel as she moved closer to him.

"So, Danny, what kinds of rebellious things were you thinking of doing in here?" She asked while raising an eyebrow at him and grinning.

He was slightly caught off guard by her sudden shift in mood, so he just grinned back at her. She set her drink down and quickly kissed him. He responded by pulling her close and kissing her hard. After they broke apart, she pulled on his tie and started to move toward the bedroom. "Want to move this along?" She asked while he followed closely behind her.

"uh huh" was all he managed to get out before she pulled him into the bedroom and quickly shut the door.

Danny quietly walked into his apartment building after a long day at work. As he walked off the elevator and down the hall to his apartment, he stopped as he saw Emily Gilmore standing at his front door. She narrowed her eyes at him as he walked closer to her and pulled his keys out of his pocket. She stepped aside as he moved to unlock the door. He held it open as she entered and examined his living area.

"It's nice to see you Gran. Is there something I can do for you?" He inquired.

She turned at looked at him and narrowed her eyes at him again. "How could you do this Daniel?"

"Do what?"

"I heard about Rachel Stevens. Her grandmother pulled me aside after our DAR meeting today. How could you do that to that poor girl? I thought you were a better man than that Daniel. I'm ashamed of you." She said coldly.

"Again, what are you talking about? I didn't do anything to hurt her. She's the one who made the first move after we went into the pool house. I never said I wanted to date her or anything. I would have never done anything with her if she hadn't initiated." Danny tried to explain while not really knowing what his Gran was talking about.

"You mean to tell me that you haven't spoken to her since your graduation party?" She asked.

"No. You saw me say goodbye to her at the front door that night. That was the last time I saw her, honestly." He explained.

"Oh, well, I think you should call her Daniel."

He sighed and said, "Gran, just tell me what this is all about. You're obviously upset about something. Just tell me and I'll make it right."

"I think you should sit down." She said while taking a seat on the living room couch. Danny sat in a chair opposite her and waited for her explanation. "I talked to Rachel's grandmother this morning. She explained to me that Rachel will not be going back to Yale next month." She paused for a moment before Danny nodded for her to continue. "Rachel's pregnant." Emily finally blurted out. "She says that you're the father."

The color drained from Danny's face as his eyes went wide. His mouth hung open for a while before he was able to speak. "What? How could that be? Is she sure it's mine?"

"Apparently. I didn't ask about all the details, but Rachel's grandmother said that Rachel slept with you at your graduation party and you got her pregnant." Emily explained.

"Well she sure as hell hasn't said anything about it to me." Danny said before admitting what happened that night. "Yes, we did sleep together at the party. I was a little drunk and we were in the pool house. She initiated everything, so it's not like it's one hundred percent my fault!"

Emily nodded before pulling a piece of paper out of her purse. "This is Rachel's phone number. I think you should call her." She said while getting up to leave. As she reached the door she turned back to Danny. "You're a wonderful young man Daniel, but you really should be more responsible." She quickly walked out the door and shut it behind her.

"Shit." Danny said while starring down at the paper. It had been three months since the party and Danny hadn't heard anything from Rachel. He thought it was just a crazy onetime thing, but apparently not. "I cannot believe this is happening." He said out loud. "I so don't want a kid right now. Especially with someone I've only met once. I'm in so much trouble." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Rachel's number.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Rachel? It's Danny."

"Oh, Danny, hi. How are you?" She asked politely.

"How do you think I am? Emily Gilmore just showed up at my door and berated me for knocking you up."

"Oh." Rachel said quietly. "She told you?"

"Yeah, she's totally pissed at me. Were you ever going to tell me?" Danny asked.

"I honestly wasn't sure." She admitted. "It was a crazy stupid one night stand. I figured you didn't really want to deal with the aftermath."

"I'm not sure that I have a choice." Danny said.

"Well, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just because I'm having this baby doesn't mean you have to be around. I can do it by myself." Rachel said with an annoyed tone in her voice. "Just know that I will be coming after you for child support though. I don't have a job and it takes money to raise a kid."

"Fine" Danny said with anger rising in his voice. "Just tell me where to send the check."

"I figured you'd react like this. You're just another Yale jackass. I'll send you a post card when the baby is born." She said before quickly ending the call.

Danny shook his head and starred down at the cell phone in his hand.

The weekend rolled around and Danny went to Stars Hollow for Saturday night dinner with his parents. He was running late, so Rory and Jess were already sitting at the kitchen table when he arrived. He quickly apologized and sat down before dishing up some food.

Halfway through the meal, Rory looked at Danny and set her fork down. She starred at him for a moment before asking, "Danny is everything ok? You seem a bit off."

Danny looked at her for a moment before setting his own fork down and taking a deep breath. "No actually, everything isn't ok. I've had some difficult personal issues this week."

"Anything you want to talk to us about?" Jess asked.

"Well, I'm not sure how to say this really. I'm still in shock myself." Danny explained. "I made a really big mistake a couple of months ago and now I'm in it pretty deep." He said while running a hand through his hair.

"What is it?" Rory asked as worry rose within her. She put her hand on his and tried to encourage him.

Danny took another deep breath and tried to explain. "So, at my graduation party, the one at Gran and Papa's house, I met this girl; Rachel Stevens. Gran actually introduced us. I was a little drunk at that point and we eventually wound up in the pool house. Alone. Together."

"Oh" Rory said and grimaced slightly.

"Yeah." Danny nodded. "Anyways, Gran showed up at my door a couple of nights ago and pretty much let me have it for what Rachel and I did."

"Why would she go over to your place and not just wait until the next Friday night dinner? You're both adults. You can do what you want." Jess said.

"Actually, she does have a good reason to be pissed. Rachel's pregnant." Danny said as Rory and Jess looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're sure it's yours?" Jess asked.

"That's what Rachel said." Danny said. "I think the worst part is that she wasn't planning on telling me. If Gran hadn't found out through the DAR, Rachel would have never told me about it."

"Wow. I don't even know what to say about all this." Rory said.

"Me neither." Danny said. "I can't believe I'm in this situation. Oh, another thing, Rachel said she doesn't care if I'm involved or not as long as I pay child support."

Jess and Rory both scoffed before Jess said, "You better get a paternity test. Sounds like this Rachel chick is after money."

"Yeah, but it's not like I have that much." Danny said.

"No, but you will after you move up in the firm and work a couple of years." Rory said. "She probably planned this for all we know. She found out you were an up and coming engineer at an up and coming firm and made you her target."

"I don't know about all that." Danny said. "She didn't seem like the kind of girl to do something like that."

"Just make sure the kid's yours before you go making all kinds of promises and giving her money." Jess said.

"Yeah, whatever you do Danny, just be careful and think it through." Rory explained. "Plus, you can always talk to us about it. We can both relate to the situation."

"Ok, thanks guys." Danny said and smiled.

"Can I add something?" Jess said before Danny nodded. "Just, don't ignore the kid. It really sucks when you're not a part of your kid's life. I know both sides of that story. My dad wasn't around when I was growing up. He knew I existed and chose not to be around. On the other hand, I didn't know about Jordan when he was a kid. I know that wasn't my fault, but it still doesn't change the fact that it sucks that I missed out on his childhood. I have so many awesome memories from when you and your brothers and sister were growing up that I wouldn't trade for anything. You really should consider being a part of your kid's life Danny."

"Seriously Danny. My Dad wasn't around either when I was a kid. He came and went sometimes, but he really wasn't a Dad." Rory tried to explain. "It sucked growing up without a Dad, but it sucked more knowing that my Dad chose not to be there for me. Don't chose that Danny. If this kid is yours, you need to be there. Don't just send a check each month." Rory practically begged him.

"You're both right. I'd hate myself if I wasn't involved in my kid's life." Danny said. "I guess I should call Rachel and try to work this out."

"I really think you should." Jess said as Rory nodded in agreement.

They finished eating dinner and Danny left to go back to his apartment in Hartford. He attempted to call Rachel that night, but she didn't answer, so he left a message. He did that every night for the next two weeks. He continued to call once a week until Rachel finally called him back.

Early one morning in February, Rachel called Danny to inform him that she'd had the baby the previous night. It was a girl and Rachel had named her Lucy Mae Stevens. Danny quickly got dressed and went to the hospital to visit them.

He walked down the hall and was surprised to found himself almost shaking with nervousness. He slowly opened the door and stopped in the doorway as he saw Rachel holding Lucy in her arms. He walked over to them and smiled at the scene. Rachel shifted in the bed as Danny sat down next to her. He smiled while taking in the sight of the little baby.

"You want to hold her?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, can I?" Danny said. She nodded and carefully passed the baby to him. "She's beautiful." Danny said as he cradled her against his chest.

"So, we should probably talk about how we're going to do this." Rachel said as Danny nodded. "Well, first off, I was thinking this would be an appropriate amount for child support." She said while showing him a slip of paper. He nodded in agreement before looking down at Lucy.

"That's fine, but I have some conditions." He explained. "I want to be a part of her life. I'm her father, so I want to see her on a regular basis."

Rachel shook her head. "Danny, like I said before, I don't want you to be involved. I want you to just leave us alone. You're seeing her now, but I don't really plan to be inviting you over for regular visits." She said and reached over and took Lucy from Danny.

He stood up and looked at her. "I don't understand why you're being such a bitch. I haven't done anything to deserve this. I'm just trying to do the right thing and be there for my kid." He paused for a moment and then finally said, "If you're not going to let me see her, I want a paternity test done. I'm not just going to write you a check each month."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at him before saying, "fine. Leave now and I'll mail you the results."

He narrowed his eyes back at her before turning and walking out of the room. He felt anger and hurt rising within as he quickly walked out of the hospital. He got in his car and drove to his parents' house in Stars Hollow. He walked up to the front door and waited for someone to answer.

Rory opened the door and welcomed him inside. "Danny, what's going on?" She said noticing the expression on his face. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped and clenched his jaw.

"I just went to the hospital. Rachel had the baby. It's a girl; Lucy is her name." He said as angry tears began to fall from his eyes. "Rachel practically threw me out of the hospital. She doesn't want me to be involved in Lucy's life." He said while wiping his eyes. "That bitch won't let me see me daughter!" He said before Rory pulled him into a tight hug.

"Shh…" She tried to sooth him while rubbing his back as he sobbed. They stood in the doorway for a while before Danny pulled himself together and Rory finally released him. "I'm really sorry Danny." She said as he wiped his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose it like that." He said as they walked into the kitchen and Rory poured two cups of coffee. She set the cup in front of him and smiled softly at him.

"You want to talk about it some more?" She asked. He nodded and began to recount more of the story from earlier that morning.

Almost a month rolled by before Danny finally received a large envelope in the mail. He read the return address and knew it was the paternity results. He starred at the envelope for several minutes before setting it back down.

Danny waited until the following Saturday night to open the envelope. He wanted his parents to be there when he opened it and help him figure out what to do next.

As he walked into the house that night, he held the envelope in his hands. Before dinner, he sat in the living room with Rory and Jess and began to open the envelope. As Danny opened the envelope all the way, he reached in and pulled out a single sheet of paper. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking down at the results. He frowned at what he read.

"What does it say?" Rory asked after a few moments of silence.

"I can't believe this." Danny said. He turned the paper so his parents could see it. "I'm not Lucy's father."

Rory and Jess looked at each other and then at Danny. All three sat in silence as they tried to process the information.

"Wow. I never thought I'd be disappointed with those results." Danny said. "I'm kind of sad, actually. I really like the idea of having a daughter." He admitted.

"I don't even know what to say about all this." Jess said. "I'm kind of sorry it turned out this way, but I'm also relieved for you. You don't have to deal with Rachel and her craziness." He offered.

"That's true." Danny said. "Do you think she planned this?"

"Maybe. She could have seen an opportunity to make some money off of you or Richard and Emily. Maybe she just really wanted a baby and she tried to use you to get that. Who knows." Rory said.

"What do I do now?" Danny asked. Rory and Jess both shrugged in response. "I guess I should call Rachel."

"We can wait for dinner if you want to go upstairs and make the call." Jess said. Danny nodded and got up off the couch. He pulled his cell phone out and walked quickly up the stairs.

A few minutes later, Danny returned to the living and sat down on the couch. He exhaled deeply before explaining the conversation he'd just had with Rachel. "Well, you were right. She knew the baby wasn't mine and tried to get money from me. She was already pregnant when we slept together. Rachel's college boyfriend had just broken up with her when she found out. He's the father and she was scarred to tell him. She figured if she could convince me that I was the father that I'd support her and leave her alone. She wasn't planning on me wanting to be involved. She assumed because I was related to the Gilmore's that I was a typical society jerk."

"Wow. That's horrible. I can't believe that she tried to use you like that." Rory said.

"Neither can I. She put me through hell the last several months." Danny said. "In the end though, I'm not as angry as I should be. I feel bad for her. She's alone and now she has to tell her family about the lies she's been telling. She's the loser in all of this." He shrugged as he finished his sentence.

"You're right." Jess said. "Don't worry Danny. You'll find an amazing woman some day and you'll have a wonderful family. I know it."

Danny nodded and stood up. "Dinner?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm starving!" Rory said while going into the kitchen as Danny and Jess followed after her.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Thanks so much for your reviews! I'm working on wrapping this story up, so if there is anything you'd like to see happen, let me know and I'll try to incorporate it.**

Nick pulled up to the diner and revved the engine of his motorcycle before shutting it off and getting off the bike. He took off his helmet and casually strolled into the diner while Luke stared at him.

"You're five minutes late for your shift Nick." Luke grunted.

"Chill out Grandpa. I'm here now." He said casually while walking into the storage room to stash his helmet and put an apron on. Luke walked into the back and stared at Nick.

"You gotta start being more responsible. I can't put you on the schedule anymore if you're not going to show up on time." Luke said sternly.

"Hey, you need to relax. I'm sorry I was late. I'll try to be on time next time." Nick said.

"Ok fine. Just don't keep making it a habit." Luke said while turned around and going back to his work.

Nick spent the rest of his shift pouring coffee and taking orders. He liked working in the diner, but it got a little boring sometimes. He wanted to do something that was more challenging. That was the problem with everything in Nick's life at the moment; it was too easy. The only thing that was somewhat challenging was Chilton. He was in his senior year and enjoying the rigorous classes.

Most people thought he was a typical bad boy when they saw him riding his motorcycle or the various tattoos on his body. In reality, Nick was a really nice and fun young man. He really appreciated his family and enjoyed spending time with them. Jess and Rory freaked out when they found out about his tattoos, but decided that it was his choice and he could do what he wanted. Nick figured they probably cut him some slack because he was genuinely a good kid; he got good grades in school and worked a few hours a week at the diner and the Dragonfly. Plus, all his tattoos were covered up by his clothes, so very few people actually saw them.

Rory rushed into the emergency room of Hartford Memorial Hospital. She looked around and quickly walked over to the reception desk.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for Nicholas Mariano. I'm his mother." She said to the woman behind the desk.

"Ok, just a second." The receptionist said while looking at the computer. "He's up in surgery. It would be best if you waited there. It's on the third floor. Just take that elevator." The woman pointed to the elevator as Rory headed in that direction.

"Thank you." Rory said as she walked away. She took the elevator to the third floor and went to the nurses' station near the waiting room.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for Nicholas Mariano." Rory said as her heart pounded.

One of the nurses looked through several charts before turning back to Rory. "Are you family?" The nurse asked her.

"Yes, I'm his mother." Rory stated while growing more impatient.

"Ok, Mrs. Mariano, why don't you have a seat and I'll get a doctor to come see you." The nurse explained.

"I'm sorry, but could you just tell me what's going on? I got a call to come here right away, but no one is telling me what's going on with Nick." Rory said somewhat frantically.

"The doctor will be out soon." The nurse said.

Rory sighed and sat in a nearby chair. A few minutes later, Paris Geller walked into the waiting room.

"Paris?" Rory said.

"Rory, I'm overseeing Nick's surgery." Paris stated while taking a seat next to Rory.

"Wait, what surgery? Why is he in surgery? Why won't anyone tell me what's going on!" Rory exclaimed.

"No one's told you?" Paris said as Rory shook her head. "I swear these people get more incompetent every day." Paris said before taking a deep breath. "Ok, so Nick was in some sort of motorcycle accident. Some guy swerved into his lane and hit the back tire of his bike, causing Nick to fall and slide down the highway before colliding with the guard rail." Paris paused for a moment while Rory took in the news. "The paramedics brought him here where we assessed his injuries. He has a broken leg, severely damaged knee, a broken rib, broken arm, road rash, and a head injury. The surgery he's in right now is to repair his knee and leg. There is some swelling in his brain, but it appears to be under control." She explained and looked at Rory for a response.

Rory looked at Paris with a mix of fear and shock in her eyes. A few tears escaped her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before saying, "When can I see him?"

"It'll be a little while. Maybe an hour or so depending on how it goes." She looked at Rory and put her arm around Rory's shoulders. "It's going to be ok Rory. He's going to be fine. I'm not going to let anything happen on my watch." Paris said firmly. "Rory, are you here alone? Where's Jess?" she said while looking around.

"Jess is on his way. He was in Providence on business today. He should be here in about an hour." Rory said. "I didn't call anyone else. In my panic to get here I completely forgot to call the rest of the family." She said while fumbling through her purse for her cell phone. She took a deep breath and turned to Paris. "Thank you Paris."

"No problem Rory. I better get back in there." She said while getting and walking back toward the operating room.

Rory spent the next half an hour calling each family member. By the time she had finished the calls, Lorelai and Luke arrived at the hospital. Lorelai quickly engulfed Rory in a tight hug as Rory sobbed into her mother's shoulder. After a few minutes, Lorelai pulled back and Luke embraced Rory quickly. As they released each other and sat down, Jess came flying into the waiting room.

"Rory!" Jess yelled as he crossed the room. They hugged tightly for a few minutes before taking a seat on a nearby couch next to Luke and Lorelai. "What's going on? How is he?" Jess spat out.

"Nick is in surgery right now." Rory explained. "Paris is actually in there working on him, so he's in good hands. They're repairing his knee and fixing his broken leg."

"Good. So, that's it?" Jess asked.

Rory shook her head and tried to explain everything. "No, it's pretty bad actually. Nick was driving his motorcycle home from school when a driver swerved into his lane and hit the back of his bike, which caused Nick to fall and skid into a guard rail." Rory paused as everyone gasped and looked at her with fear in their eyes. "Paris said he's in pretty bad shape. I guess he not only broke his leg and knee, but broke a couple of ribs, his arm, and has a head injury. Plus, he has some nasty road rash."

"Hell, is everything going to be ok?" Luke asked while Jess and Lorelai sat in silence.

Rory shrugged again. "I really don't know. It sounds pretty bad, but Paris said it would be ok."

"When can we see him?" Jess said.

"Soon. Paris told me it would be an hour or so." Rory looked at her watch before saying, "It's been an hour, so hopefully he'll be out of surgery soon."

The four of them sat in silence for a while before Lorelai finally asked, "Where are all the kids?"

"Jordan, Kari, and Janie are driving in tomorrow morning. Drew and Paige are on their way with Alex and the kids. Danny is also on his way, but was stopping to pick up coffee and food." Rory explained.

"Jack and Will are on standby." Luke explained. "They're holding down the fort at the diner and the Inn right now. I told them we'd call when we knew what was going on."

As Luke was finishing his sentence, Emily and Richard Gilmore walked into the room. Emily looked as if she'd already done battle with several nurses before arriving.

"Rory, Jess, how is Nicholas?" Emily asked quickly.

Rory explained everything to her while Jess pulled a few more chairs over to where they were sitting. After everything had been explained, they sat down and waited for an updated report from Paris.

Just as Rory was about to go see what was taking so long, Paris emerged from behind the closed surgery wing doors. She quickly crossed the room and greeted everyone.

"Nick is out of surgery and being moved to a recovery room as we speak." She informed everyone. "I was able to reset his leg and repair most of the damage to his knee. His injuries were extensive, so he'll need a lot of time to recover, but I think he's going to be just fine. We're still monitoring his head injury, but the swelling in his brain seems to have gone down." She turned to Rory and Jess to inform them, "You can see him now if you follow me." They quickly got up and followed as Paris quickly ushered them into the waiting room. "I have to warn you." She said. "His injuries are bad, so it's going to be shocking to see him at first. He's also still recovering from the anesthesia, so he might not wake up for a while."

Paris stopped at the doorway to Nick's room and opened the door for Rory and Jess. They thanked her and quickly walked into the room and stood next to Nick's bed. They walked over to his right side to avoid the injuries covering the left side of his body. Rory reached out and held his hand while Jess moved two chairs to the bed side. He placed his hand over Rory's and starred at his youngest son.

Nick lay motionless on the hospital bed. His leg was wrapped in bandages and held in place several inches above the bed in a hanging brace. He was wearing a hospital gown, but it was evident that the majority of his left side was bandaged to cover his road rashed skin. His arm was wrapped in a thick bandage, apparently awaiting a more permanent cast. Nick's head was bandaged and his head had been shaved at some point. His face seemed to be the only part of his body not bandaged, but there were scratches and stitches on his chin, cheek, and forehead. Neither Rory nor Jess knew what to say as they took in his appearance. They both felt completely helpless and tried to think of something to do to improve the situation.

Rory leaned closer and gave Nick a kiss on the cheek while whispering, "I love you baby."

A hospital aid entered the room and handed a plastic bag to Jess. "These are Mr. Mariano's belongings. It's what was brought in with him earlier." He explained before quickly leaving.

Jess stared down at the bag and slowly opened it. He pulled out Nick's motorcycle helmet and examined the damage on it. He set the bag down to cradle the helmet in his hands. "Wow, this is actually cracked open in some places." He said while running his hands over the rough edges of the once smooth helmet.

"Wow. It's a really good thing he was wearing that." Rory said while examining the item.

Jess set the helmet on a nearby chair and picked the bag up again. He pulled Nick's wallet out and flipped through it. The contents seemed to be there, so he set it on the chair and looked into the bag again. Jess pulled out a bundle of clothing and set the now empty bag on the floor. He unfolded the clothes and held them out in mid air. Tears came to his eyes as he examined what was once Nick's Chilton uniform. It appeared that the uniform had been cut off him at the hospital. The tie was the only intact item. It was almost completely soaked in blood. Jess quickly grabbed the bag off the floor and stuffed the clothes back into it. He walked out of the room and over to a biohazard waste bin. He opened the bin and threw the bag of bloodied clothes in. He stood there for a moment before opening the bin again and vomiting into it. Jess closed the bin and took a deep breath. He walked back into the room and saw Rory sitting in a chair next to Nick's bed holding his hand again.

"Are you ok?" Rory asked quietly while looking at a very pale Jess.

"Yeah" He said while sitting down next to her. "I threw out the clothes."

"Good. Nobody should have to see those." She said while placing her free hand in his.

After a few minutes, Nick began to stir. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he tried to move in the bed.

"Shh. It's ok baby." Rory soothed him. "Don't try to move right now, ok?"

He looked up at his parents with confusion in his eyes as he tried to speak. Jess noticed that his mouth was dry and went to the nurses' station for some water. He returned to the room and poured a cup for Nick before realizing that he couldn't sit up to drink it. He saw a few paper towels on the counter in the corner of the room and quickly retrieved them. He folded one into a square and dunked it in the cup of water. He handed it to Rory and she gently dabbed Nick's lips. He opened his mouth and she wet his lips more as he ran his tongue over them.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a raspy voice, "what happened?"

"You were in an accident." Jess offered. "Someone hit you while you were coming home from school."

"You had surgery on your leg." Rory said. "You're going to be ok Nick. We're here and we're not going to let anything happen to you." Rory insisted as she looked into his frightened eyes.

He nodded in response and squeezed her hand. Nick looked over and the left side of his body and groaned. Rory touched his face and gently turned him back toward her.

Rory and Jess practically camped out at the hospital over the next several weeks. Nick was recovering well, but slowly. The entire family set up a schedule and visited him regularly. Kari and Paige asked a million questions about his progress when they visited. Nick was annoyed at them at first, but soon realized they kept inquiring because they cared and because as doctors, that's what they did when someone was injured.

"Here hold your nephew for a minute." Paige said while placing Caleb on the hospital bed next to Nick. "Don't look at me like that. He's not going to hurt you in the two minutes I'll be gone. Just keep him from falling off the bed and that's all you need to do." She explained to Nick before leaving the room.

Nick looked at the little boy and pulled him closer to himself and away from the edge of the bed. Caleb turned at looked up at his uncle with a frown.

"Sorry buddy, you're stuck with me." He said.

Caleb poked at the various bandages and scars on Nick's body, quickly pointing to something new after an explanation was given.

Paige quickly returned with Drew in tow. "Look who I found in the hallway." She said as they walked over to Nick's bed. Drew reached over and picked up Caleb while giving him a big hug.

"Hey Nick. How are you feeling today?" Drew asked.

"Pretty good. I'm still sore, but I'm getting anxious to get out of this hospital." Nick explained.

"I spoke with one of the doctors just now and he seemed to think you could go home in a couple of days." Paige said. "You'll still be confined to your bed, but at least you'll be out of the hospital."

"I can't wait." Nick said. "I'm so bored."

"Are you saying we're boring?" Drew said as Caleb tried to wiggle out of his arms. He set the boy on the bed next to Nick again and the boy snuggled up next to Nick.

"Seems like he really likes you." Paige said as Nick smiled and put his arm around the little boy.

"Yeah, we're old buddies by now." Nick said while ruffling Caleb's hair. He laughed as the boy swatted his hand away.

"Hey!" Janie said while entering the hospital room.

"Hey!" Nick said as she walked over to his bedside. "This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?"

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before tickling Caleb.

"What's miss hot shot lawyer doing away from the office?" Drew asked.

Janie rolled her eyes at his statement. "I took a day off." She said while glaring at him. "I'm allowed to do that you know."

"I guess so." Drew said. "Plus, with that fancy Harvard Law degree it's not like they can say no to you. You just do some research and find a law that proves them wrong." He joked while everyone laughed at his statement.

"So, Nick, what do you say we break you out of this jail?" Janie asked.

"I think I have to stay for a few more days. That's what Paige said." Nick pointed out.

"A few days shouldn't make a difference. I'll go talk to the doctor." She said while exiting the room.

"She certain is full of confidence these days." Paige said. "I agree with her, but we'll see what the doctor says."

A few minutes later, Janie and a doctor came into the room. The doctor briefly examined Nick and looked at his chart. After several minutes of discussion, he finally agreed to release Nick under the condition that he be on complete bed rest for the next week. Everyone agreed and promised they'd all help take care of him.

Rory and Jess arrived at the hospital and helped get Nick back to the house. They made up the living room couch for Nick so he wouldn't have to be completely isolated to his room.

That weekend, all the kids gathered at Rory and Jess' house to welcome Nick home. Luke, Lorelai, Jack, and Will also joined in the celebration. It was fairly low key, but was fun for everyone involved. As it grew late into the evening, everyone sat in the living room with Nick. They were planning to have a big movie night, but were currently too busy laughing and telling stories. The entire group was in pajamas and sweats and had blankets and pillows strewn about the room.

"Truth or Dare" Kari said while looking around the room. "Jordan, you're up first babe. Truth or dare?"

He groaned and took a deep breath. "Dare"

"I dare you to cluck like a chicken." She said while smiling at him. He rolled his eyes and stood up before doing as he was told. Everyone howled with laughter at the sight before he finally sat back down.

"Ok, very funny." Jordan said while scanning the room. "Jane, truth or dare?" He said while she frowned at him for choosing her.

She sighed and said "dare".

"I dare you to show everyone your tattoo." He quickly blurted out and everyone gasped.

"You have a tattoo?" Jess said while looking at his daughter.

"Thanks Jordan." Janie said while standing up. "It was a stupid high school stunt. You all know I'm a completely different person now, so the tattoo is no big deal." She turned her back to the group and slightly lowered her sweat pants to reveal a heart tattoo just below her hip. Everyone starred at it as Rory stood up and walked over to Janie. She looked at it and brushed her fingers over it before looking up at Janie. "When did you get this?" She asked.

"I think I was seventeen at the time. It was back when I was dating Isaac." She said and cringed slightly.

Rory shook her head and returned to her seat. "I can't believe I never knew about that."

"Sorry Mom." Janie said genuinely. "There's other stuff you don't know too, but I think it's someone else's turn to tell a secret." She said while sitting back down. "Hhmmm…who's going to be the next victim?" She pondered while looking around the room. "Danny…truth or dare?" She said and smiled at him.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to be super embarrassed no matter what I pick?" He joked.

"You have to pick one." Janie insisted.

"Fine, truth." He said and shrugged his shoulders.

She smiled devilishly before asking, "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

Everyone laughed awkwardly and looked at Danny as he turned red.

"I'm not sure we really want to know this." Lorelai snickered.

Danny took a deep breath and admitted, "fifteen". Rory and Jess scoffed at his answer. Before they could say anything Danny spat out "How old were you Janie?"

"Sixteen." She responded quickly. "Although, technically you're supposed to ask truth or dare."

"Ok. Drew, truth or dare?" Danny asked.

"Truth" Drew said.

"Was Paige your first?" Danny said as Drew raised an eyebrow.

"This is kind of getting out of hand." Luke said while shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"It's fine." Paige said. "These crazy kids just like to make each other squirm, especially in front of Rory and Jess." She explained before answering for Drew. "To answer the question, yes, I was Drew's first. He was also mine." She said matter of factly. "Alex, truth or dare?" She quickly asked.

"Dare." He said "I'm kind of afraid of what the truth question would be." He joked.

"I dare you to take your clothes off and streak down the street." She said and laughed as he shook his head.

Alex laughed and quickly walked to the front door. He opened the door, quickly stripped and ran down the street. Everyone howled with laughter as he came back and quickly dressed before entering the house.

"Nick, truth or dare" He said while sitting back down.

"Truth." Nick said.

"Did you really kiss that teacher last year?" Alex asked.

Nick sighed and shook his head. "Yes, I did. What can I say? She was totally hot! Plus, she was like twenty-four, so she's close to my age."

"You kissed a teacher?" Rory said. Nick nodded and she shook her head. She turned to Jess and said, "What kind of children do we have? I swear we didn't raise them like this."

"Well, you can't really take the hoodlum out of them." Lorelai joked.

"Jack, you haven't done a truth or a dare yet. What's your pick?" Jordan asked.

"Truth" Jack said.

"Do you have a tattoo or piercing that we don't know about?" Jordan asked.

Jack sighed and took off his shirt while turning around. Everyone gasped as they saw an eagle tattoo on his shoulder and back.

"When did you get that." Lorelai demanded.

"A year ago." Jack said while putting his shirt back on.

"Will, please tell me you don't have a matching one." Luke said.

"Nope. No tattoos, sorry to disappoint everyone." Will said.

"Don't act so innocent over there mister." Jack said. "Tell them about you're little run in with the law last weekend."

Will glared at his brother as Lorelai and Luke both waited for Will to explain. "Thanks Jack. Geez." He paused before revealing what happened. "Ok, so I was at a party some of the football guys at school were having. There was alcohol there and the cops came and shut it down. I hopped over the back fence and hid in the neighbor's bushes until the cops finally left. Don't worry, I didn't get arrested or anything."

Lorelai turned to Rory and shook her head. "Can you believe this? They're all trouble makers and have been lying to us. It's all his fault." Lorelai said while pointing to Jess. "It's partially your fault too Rory. You brought him into the family and now he's corrupting these little innocent babies." Lorelai joked as everyone laughed.

"I think we all know no one in this room is innocent." Nick joked as everyone continued to laugh.

The night went on like that for several more hours before everyone finally fell asleep in the living room.


	31. Chapter 31

Jack held Martha's hand as they walked down the aisle of the church. Everyone cheered and congratulated them as they left the church. They climbed into the back of the limo as everyone exited the church to head over to the reception at The Dragonfly.

Jack and Martha Bellville had dated throughout high school and college. Jack went to Yale to study business and Martha went to a local culinary school. She also worked at The Dragonfly with Sookie and quickly became an assistant chef. Jack had begun working with Lorelai also. He'd recently graduated from Yale and was the assistant manager at the Inn.

"I love you" Jack said to Martha before pulling her close and kissing her.

"Love you too" Martha said as they pulled up to the wedding reception.

Lorelai walked into the kitchen of The Dragonfly and saw Sookie and Martha leaning over the island chopping vegetables and crying softly. Lorelai poured herself a cup of coffee and looked at the pair.

"Ok, you've got to put down the knives and tell me what's going on." Lorelai finally said.

They both did as told and Martha explained, "I had a doctor's appointment this morning."

"Is everything ok?" Lorelai asked as concern grew inside of her.

"Yes and no." Martha said.

"You've got to give me more information than that Martha."

"Well, you know how Jack and I want kids, right?" Martha asked.

"Yes. You mentioned that a while ago." Lorelai stated before becoming excited. "You're pregnant!"

"No." Martha said sadly as Sookie stroked her arm and smiled sadly. "That's the problem actually." She tried to explain. "Jack and I have been trying to get pregnant for a little over a year now. We've tried everything, but nothing seems to be working. So, we both finally agreed to see a specialist. We just wanted to rule out any problems." She took a deep breath and continued. "It turns out there is a problem." She said sadly. "Actually, Jack has a problem. The doctor said he has low sperm count and low sperm motility. So, the doctor said we could keep trying, but it's really unlikely that we'll get pregnant on our own."

Lorelai reached over and pulled her into a hug. "Oh sweetie. I'm so sorry." She said sympathetically.

They parted and Martha wiped her eyes. "Thanks. It's kind of caught us both off guard. We haven't really discussed what our next steps are. I think Jack's really upset about it. He didn't want to discuss it any further, so we both went to work for the rest of the day." She explained.

"He's here at work? I haven't seen him yet." Lorelai said.

"He's been in the barn all day. I think he's hiding out." Sookie said.

"Yeah, I would imagine it's a huge blow to him. He's always been such a guy; just like his Dad. I'm sure this news makes him feel like less of a man." Lorelai said. "I really am sorry for both of you, but you'll figure it out." She encouraged while starting to walk out of the kitchen. She turned back and scrunched up her face before saying, "I really didn't need to know about my son's sperm." Sookie and Martha just laughed as she left and they resumed their vegetable chopping.

Lorelai walked into the barn about an hour later and saw Jack sitting on a bench just inside the doors.

"Hey." She said while sitting down next to him. "I talked to Martha in the kitchen. She told me about the doctor's appointment."

"Geez" Jack said while turning red. "I really don't want to talk to you about this, no offense."

"None taken. It's not exactly on my top ten list of topics to discuss with you, but you can't just sit in here and mope all afternoon." Lorelai tried to explain.

"I need to think this over." He grunted. "I'm trying to figure out what to do now."

"You're just like your Dad, you know." Lorelai said. "You know Martha loves you no matter what, so I'm sure you'll figure it out together." She said in an attempt to make him feel better.

"I know, but I'm defective now. She wants a baby more than anything and I can't give that to her. I kind think I should move aside and let a more manly man do the job." He huffed.

"Jack, don't say that. You're still a manly man. Just because you're having trouble having a baby doesn't mean it's impossible. There are lots of options out there and you could always adopt. There are lots of kids that need good homes."

"I know. We've talked about adoption before. I just really hate that I can't give my wife what she really wants. We've been married for almost four years and there has never been anything that she's wanted. Even when we first got married and had no money, she didn't complain. She's a complete angel and never asks for a single thing. All she's ever wanted is this and I can't even do it." Jack said while looking down.

Lorelai just sighed and took his hand in hers. "It will all be ok Jack" she stated.

"Mom!" Jack shouted as he entered The Dragonfly.

Michel looked up from his position at the front desk and starred at Jack. "Lorelai, your son is calling you." He said as Lorelai walked through the door and to the front desk.

"Mom! Here, you have to watch Quinn for a while." He said while handing her his daughter.

Lorelai took her granddaughter and shifted the two year old onto her hip. "Jack what's going on? Is everything ok?" She asked nervously while brushing Quinn's curly brown hair out of her face.

"Martha's in labor. She in the car now. I'm taking her to the hospital." He said while rushing out the door.

"Ok, sure. I'll watch Quinn and meet you at the hospital later. Thanks for all the information Jack." Lorelai said to the empty room. She looked at Quinn who smiled and reached out to grab Lorelai's hair. She swiftly blocked the child's attempt and turned to walk into her office. She stopped by the kitchen on her way to give Sookie the news.

Sookie looked up and smiled as Lorelai and Quinn entered the kitchen. She quickly wiped her hands with a towel and walked over to them.

"There's my little grandbaby! How are you sweetie?" Sookie said while scooping her up in her arms. "This is a surprise. Where are your mommy and daddy at?" She asked as the little girl shook her head and smiled.

"Jack just rushed in and dumped her in my arms. He said Martha's in labor and they're going to the hospital." Lorelai explained before Sookie squealed with excitement.

"Oh my gosh. We're going to be grandmas again!" Sookie said. "This is so great! You're going to be a big sister Quinn."

"That's right." Lorelai said while smiling and tickling the little girl. She turned to Sookie and asked, "Who would have ever thought our kids would get married to each other and we'd share grandkids?"

"I would have never guessed, but I love it." Sookie said. "Pretty soon we're going to have two little grandsons." She said while smiling.

"Yeah. I'm so happy for Jack and Martha. I know they love Quinn with all their hearts, but it's nice that they were able to finally get pregnant."

"Yes, and with twins! I've been so excited since they told us." Sookie said.

"I know. I don't think I've ever seen Jackson and Luke so excited either. It's all they can talk about." Lorelai smiled.

"Oh, should we be heading to the hospital?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai thought for a moment before pulling out her cell phone. "I'll call Jack, but I think it's going to be a while. Hey, I know. Let's call Jackson and Luke and have a waiting party at our house?"

"Ohhh. That sounds like fun! I'll make some food and we'll head over." Sookie said. "Hey Quinn, want to help Grandma cook?" She asked before the little girl nodded and reached out to grab a carrot that was on the counter.

Several hours later, Jackson, Sookie, Quinn, Luke, and Lorelai were gathered in the living room of the Crap Shack.

"This is taking forever." Jackson said while getting up and pacing around the room.

"It's better than sitting in a hospital waiting room." Luke commented while bouncing Quinn in his lap. She giggled and reached up to grab his scruffy face. "She's really into grabbing stuff isn't she?" He said.

"Yes. Just be thankful you don't have long hair for her to pull on." Lorelai said while taking a sip from her coffee cup. Quinn looked at her curiously and reached for the cup, which caused her to fall out of Luke's lap and onto the couch next to Lorelai. "Oops." Lorelai said while setting her cup down and pulling the little girl into her lap. "She's so curious about coffee. Sometimes it's hard to believe she's adopted. I swear she got her coffee curiosity from me." Lorelai joked.

The house phone rang and Luke jumped up to answer it. "Hello?" He said quickly.

"Dad." Jack said sounding tired. "You can all come down here and meet your grandsons now." He grinned.

"Really? They're here?" Luke asked.

"Yes Grandpa." Jack laughed. "Get down here and see them."

Luke did as he was told and the group was quickly en route to the hospital. When they arrived, they all quickly found their way to Martha's room. Sookie quietly opened the door and peered inside. Jack and Martha both noticed her and motioned everyone in. They all gathered around the bed and looked at the babies in Martha's arms. Jack helped her hand one baby to Luke and one to Jackson.

"We sort of named them after the two of you." Martha said as they both looked at her with shock in their eyes.

Jack walked over to Luke and explained, "This is Lucas Ethan Danes". He looked over at Jackson and said, "That little guy is Jack Lucas Danes Jr."

"That's wonderful." Sookie said while looking at baby Jack. "They're both gorgeous Martha and Jack. Beautiful boys."

"They really are." Lorelai said as Luke handed Lucas to her. "It's nice that you incorporated their grandfather's names, but how is Jackson's name in there?"

"Ethan is my middle name." Jackson said.

Jack picked up Quinn and introduced her to her brothers. She looked at them curiously before reaching out and touching Lucas. He stirred slowly at her touch, but didn't wake up from his slumber. "Baby" she said.

"That right." Jack said to her. "Baby Lucas. And this is Baby Jack or JJ since he's Jack Jr."

"Congratulations you two." Luke said while patting Jack on the back.

"You're becoming a real grouch, you know." Drew said while Will handed him a cup of coffee. He grunted as Drew paid and then left the diner.

Will was kind of becoming a grump in all reality. He'd graduated from high school five years prior and had spent his time running Luke's diner. Luke still worked some shifts, but had turned the day to day operations over to Will.

As the morning rush was in full swing, Will heard someone yell at him as he was starting a fresh pot of coffee. He ignored the voice, but the person kept yelling something about getting coffee to go. Will yelled over his shoulder "Hold your horses! I'll get to you when I get to you!" The customer pestered him again with the coffee request and he turned to yell again but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who the source of his annoyance was. It was a tall, skinny, redhead with bright blue eyes. He snapped out of his trance when she asked him for coffee again. He grunted and fulfilled her request shortly after. She paid and quickly left as he starred at her.

"Who the hell was that?" He said out loud to no one in particular.

"Lisa Jones" A random customer answered. "New teacher at the high school."

"Damn" Will whispered under his breath before going back to work.

Over the next several weeks, Lisa continued to frequent the diner to get coffee before school. Will finally got up the nerve to ask her out one morning and to his surprise she said yes. Luke and Lorelai teased him endlessly whenever he was home. Lorelai kept calling him Luke Jr. and Lisa Lorelai Jr. Will just shook his head and ignored his parents' antics.

About six months after they started dating, Will and Lisa decided to get married. Everyone was shocked that Will wanted to move so quickly on something, but they knew that Will and Lisa were right for each other so they didn't give them too much grief.

Will and Lisa were married on a beautiful summer afternoon in June. They had the ceremony and the reception at The Dragonfly, as it had become a family tradition. Everyone couldn't help but notice how happy both Will and Lisa looked as they danced together.

"She's Will's Lorelai" Rory commented to her mother as she watched her brother and new sister-in-law dance.

"It's kind of weird to hear you phrase it like that, but I have to agree with you. Lisa has totally transformed Will from a hermit to a fairly sociable guy." Lorelai said while nodding. She sighed before sadly saying, "my last baby's all grown up."

"You're just now realizing that?" Rory said. "I realized all my babies were grown up after Nick and Danny graduated high school. They're almost out of college and Will's been graduated for a while now."

"I know. I was trying to hold onto Will a little while longer, but he's married now, so I guess it's time to start letting go." She joked. "He did live with Luke and I until he started dating Lisa, so it's not all my fault that I'm having issues letting go."

"Maybe they'll start having babies soon and you can smoother them with your motherly ways." Rory suggested.

"I doubt it." Lorelai frowned. "I asked Lisa last night about that and she didn't seem too interested. She said they've discussed it and don't want kids right away. They want to focus on work and enjoy being married for a while. She's from a big family so she doesn't really want a lot of kids and it seems like Will isn't real keen on a big family either."

"Well, you've got a whole slew of grandkids and a few great-grandkids, so I'm sure you'll have plenty to do. Plus, you've got me again." Rory offered. "My kids are all grown up and out of the house, so you can always come bother me."

"That's right!" Lorelai said excitedly. "I get you all over again. Yay!" She said while clapping her hands and smiling.

Jess walked over to where Rory and Lorelai were sitting and set a piece of cake down in front of each of them.

"Thanks babe." Rory said as he sat down next to her.

"You're my favorite son-in-law." Lorelai said.

"What's she all excited about?" Jess asked Rory.

"Mom just realized that you and I are empty nesters. She's going to come over and bother us when she feels sad or lonely now that Will's gone." Rory explained.

"Oh geez" Jess said and shook his head. "Just don't move into one of the empty bedrooms and it'll be fine." He joked.

"Oh, good idea!" Lorelai said. "Luke!" She called while getting up and quickly walking over to where he was standing. "We're moving in with Jess and Rory!"

Jess put his head down on the table and groaned while Rory laughed.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. Here's a long chapter to make up for it.**

Jordan carried the last box up the steps to his and Kari's new house. It was a beautiful old townhouse near Harvard University. It had been a wedding gift from her parents, his grandparents, Richard and Emily Gilmore, and Jess and Rory. Jordan was a bit taken aback at first by the gesture, but quickly realized how much help it was to him and Kari financially. Neither had any debt from their undergraduate studies, but Kari's medical school tuition was very expensive. Kari came from a very prominent Boston society family and they offered to fund her medical studies, but Jordan insisted he and Kari pay for it now that they were married. Having a house so close to campus would have been impossible to afford on their own, so they were both very grateful to their families for the gift.

Since Janie was going to be attending Harvard that fall, Jordan and Kari offered her a room in their house. See gladly accepted the offer and moved her stuff in a week before school started.

Between working at the hospital and taking a few classes, Kari and Jordan hardly saw each other the entire fall semester. They both knew it was going to be like that, so they made the best of it and tried to spend as much time together as their schedules allowed.

Things went well for the young couple as Kari finished medical school and Jordan was promoted in his career as an architect. Janie continued to live with them until she was done with Law School. Everyone was surprised that Janie chose to go into law, but she thrived in the challenging environment so they continued to encourage her. After Janie graduated Law School, she was hired by a large law firm and moved out into a condo in downtown Boston.

Kari and Jordan were busy working and enjoying life when everything changed. It was a warm summer evening when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Jordan said while answering the phone.

"Hello. May I speak with Dr. Heart please" a male voice said in a very formal tone.

"Sure. Just a minute." Jordan said while going into the living room and handing Kari the phone. "They want to speak to Dr. Heart." He said while grinning at her.

"This is Dr. Kari Heart." She said into the phone.

"Dr. Heart, I'm Bill Adams." The man said very seriously. "I'm your sister Kelly's attorney. The hospital asked me to contact you since your parents are out of the country."

"Yes, my parents are in Aruba on vacation. Is there something Kelly needs?" Kari asked concerned as to why an attorney was calling her.

"Well, I'm very sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your sister Kelly and her husband Tim were in a boating accident early this afternoon." Bill explained.

"Oh my gosh. Are they ok? What about their son, Samuel?" Kari asked while standing up and pacing the living room as Jordan watched her.

"I'm truly very sorry Dr. Heart, but your sister and her husband were killed in the accident." Bill explained. "I'm sorry to have to ask you this, but I need you to come to Kelly and Tim's house to pick up Samuel. He's with the nanny, but needs to be with a family member. I'm going to meet you there and explain a few more things. I'll see you in an hour?"

"uh, yeah. See you in an hour." Kari said before she hung up the phone and looked at Jordan. She shook her head as a few tears escaped her eyes. "Kelly and Tim were in a boating accident earlier. They both died. I have to go pick up Samuel in an hour." She said as Jordan quickly pulled her into a tight embrace and rubbed her back. She quietly cried into his chest as he held her tightly.

About an hour later, Jordan and Kari arrived at her sister's house on the outskirts of the city. They were greeted at the front door by Bill who quickly ushered them inside. The nanny soon came downstairs and handed Samuel to Kari.

"Hi Sam" Kari said as the two year old smiled at her.

"Hey there buddy" Jordan said while giving the boy a small high five.

"I'm really sorry, but there are a few things that need to be discussed immediately." Bill said while they all moved into the living room and sat down.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lewis specified in their wills that if anything were to happen to them that they wanted you, Dr. Heart, and your husband, Mr. Mariano, to raise Samuel." Bill explained as Kari and Jordan exchanged shocked looks.

"I know this is a difficult time for you, but there was no one else available to care for Samuel and the nanny is already staying longer than normal. "

"It's ok." Jordan said. "We understand. What do we need to do?"

"Well, if you could take him home with you and care for him that's all I need right now. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis' estate needs to be settled, but it can wait until you've had some time to grieve." Bill said.

"Ok, well, this is kind of a lot to take on, but I think we can handle it, right Kari?" Jordan asked while standing up and pacing nervously.

"Yeah, it'll be ok" Kari said while taking a deep breath and giving Sam a hug.

"Ok, well, I'll be in contact with you in a few days." Bill said while standing up and walking toward the front door. "Again, I'm really sorry for your loss." He said before leaving.

Jordan and Kari starred at each other for a few minutes before Sam squirmed out of Kari's lap and almost fell on the floor before she caught him. "Jordan, can you please go talk to the nanny before she leaves and ask her about her regular hours and if Samuel has eaten and all that stuff?"

He nodded and went upstairs to search for the nanny.

"Well Sammy. What do you think about coming to live with me and your uncle Jordan?" She asked as he wiggled around on the couch.

"Mama?" He asked innocently.

Kari closed her eyes and tried to fight back the tears that came with his request. "No sweaty. She's not here." She tried to explain, but he just looked at her in confusion.

"Ok, I've got all the information. The nanny's name is Jill and she'll be over to our house tomorrow at eight am. I thought we'd just keep her on her normal schedule until we figure something else out." Jordan said while entering the room. He noticed Kari wiping tears away from her eyes and quickly sat down next to her and hugged her tightly.

"What should we do now?" Kari asked as they pulled apart.

"Sam's had dinner already. Jill's packing up some of Sam's stuff so we can take him back to our place once she's done." Jordan said. He picked Sam up and pulled him into his lap. Jill descended the stairs with two suitcases and walked to the front door. Jordan handed Sam back to Kari and went to help Jill load the suitcases into their car.

A little while later, Kari and Jordan lay in bed silently. Jordan held Kari close and stroked her hair as she cried softly.

"I have no idea how we're going to do this." Kari finally said.

"It's a lot" Jordan said.

"I tried calling my mom and dad, but I still can't get a hold of them. I left a message with the resort manager, but I don't know when I'll be able to talk to them." She explained. "I'm not really sure if I should start planning or what. I'm still in shock that Kelly and Tim are gone. They were so young. They had their whole lives ahead of them and that wonderful little boy. It's all changed forever now." Kari remarked.

"I know. I can't understand it either. There is no way it's ever going to make sense babe." Jordan tried to explain.

"Yeah, it's just hard. I keep thinking about how Kelly and I had grown apart the last couple of years. I really wish I'd made more of an effort to stay tight with her." Kari said sadly.

"Hey there, you didn't do anything wrong." Jordan said while rubbing her back. "You two were still close, it's just that you had your own lives now."

"I know. I guess we couldn't be as close as we were back in high school. Things changed so much over the last couple of years. She stayed in Boston and went to college before marrying Tim and then Sam was born, so Kelly was busy with all that. You and I got married and I've been working a million hours a week at the hospital." She said while sighing deeply.

"She loved you very much Kari. She wouldn't have requested that you raise Sam if she didn't think you were the best person for the job." Jordan said to encourage her.

"You're right. Kelly and Tim must have known what they were doing." Kari said. "Are you sure we're ready to take care of a kid?"

"I don't think we have a choice." Jordan chuckled. "We get to do the parent thing now."

"Are you ok with that?" Kari asked.

"Yeah, I'm ok with it." Jordan said truthfully. "I know we decided that we weren't going to have any kids, but I'm starting to warm up to the idea."

"Good. I think you'll be a good father." Kari said. "Just don't get too comfortable with the idea. Let's focus on taking care of Sam and maybe reevaluate the us having a kid thing."

"Don't worry, I'm not changing my mind." He said while smiling at her. "Speaking of father, are we Sam's parents now or do we stick with the aunt and uncle thing?"

"I'm not sure. I think we'll have to ask Bill Adams what's in the will exactly. I'll talk with one of the children's psychologists at the hospital and see if they have any advice. I think we should do whatever is best for Sam." Kari said.

"I agree. It's our job to make sure Sam is taken care of." Jordan agreed. "We'll figure all the details out eventually." He assured her.

"True." She said while resting her head against Jordan's chest. He continued to gently rub her back while she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Months went by as Kari and Jordan adjusted to having Sam in their lives. Rory and Jess visited frequently to help take care of Sam. Janie helped out as much as her busy schedule would allow.

Bill Adams worked closely with Kari to settle her sister and brother in-law's wills. They had left the house and several investment accounts to Kari and Jordan in an effort to provide more resources to support Sam. Kari and Jordan considered moving into the house since it was almost twice the size of their house, but Kari just couldn't live in a house that brought back the memories of her sister. So, they sold the house and used to proceeds to set up college funds for Sam. Bill explained that Kelly and Tim had requested that Kari and Jordan legally adopt Sam if anything was to happen to them when Sam was little. So, Jordan and Kari adopted Sam and changed his last name to Mariano. They hesitated about the name change, but figured that Kelly and Tim would be ok with it.

Jordan and Kari adapted to parenthood quite well and had a good routine established after a few months. They kept Jill on as the nanny, but cut her hours to only cover the times when Jordan and Kari were both at work.

"Honey, I'm home!" Kari called out as she entered the house late one evening.

"Hey babe." Jordan said as she entered the kitchen. "I saved you some dinner. Plate's in the microwave."

She smiled and quickly kissed him. "Just like a 1950's housewife. Thanks." She joked and started the microwave. "Where's Sam?" She asked.

"Oh, he's in his office smoking a cigar and drinking brandy." Jordan quipped.

"So, he's asleep?" She asked and Jordan nodded in confirmation. "I need to get an earlier shift. I keep missing him at night." She sighed.

Jordan wrapped his arms around her waist and held her for a moment. "It's fine. You see him a lot in the morning, so it's not like he doesn't see you or anything."

"You're right." She said and went to retrieve the heated food from the microwave. As she began to eat, she looked up at Jordan and said, "Hey, can I run something past you?"

"Sure." Jordan said and waited for her to explain.

"I was thinking about making a career change." Kari said. "You know I love working at the hospital, right?" Jordan nodded in response. "The hours are ok, but I was thinking I need something more stable since we have Sam now. I'm going to start looking into opening or joining a private practice."

"That's great Kari. I think you'd do really well in your own practice. You've got the experience and you love working in labor and delivery at the hospital, so it would make sense that you'd open your own office." Jordan said.

"Ok, I'm going to start actively pursuing it then." Kari said while continuing to eat her dinner.

"Are you thinking of joining a general practice or join up with other OB/GYNs?"

"Probably OB/GYNs. I think I'd really like to continue with that work." She explained as Jordan nodded in agreement. She finished eating and set the empty plate in the sink while turning around and pulling Jordan close. "So…Sam's asleep huh?" She said before kissing him deeply.

"Sure is" Jordan said as he kissed her back.

Rory walked into a fancy waterfront restaurant on a beautiful crisp fall Friday afternoon. She was meeting Janie at the restaurant and then going back to her place to spend some time together that weekend. It had been a while since they'd had a chance to hang out just the two of them. Janie had worked very hard to establish her career after graduating from Harvard Law School. She was currently working for one of the biggest and best law firms in Boston.

Rory was quickly seated at a table by the hostess. A few minutes later Janie came in and sat down.

"Hi Mom. I'm so sorry I'm late. I got caught up in a meeting with a client." She said while storing her purse and briefcase under the table.

Rory smiled at her daughter's professional appearance and said, "No problem. I'm actually a little early, I think. You look nice today Janie. This whole hot shot lawyer lifestyle suits you."

"Thanks Mom." Janie said as she adjusted her suit jacket. "It's hard work, but I like it."

A waitress came to their table and quickly took their orders. After she had left, Rory looked at Janie and smiled again.

"I really admire you Janie." She said. "You saw what you wanted for yourself and you went out and got it. You have a great career that you've worked hard for and earned."

"Thanks Mom. I appreciate that." Janie said. "Things are going well at work. I just need to get the new guy to stop bothering me and everything will be running smoothly."

"A guy is bothering you?" Rory said while raising an eyebrow.

"ugh, yes, it's so annoying." Janie explained. "He keeps stealing cases from me and getting into the office before me. I like to be one of the first to arrive in the morning and he knows it bothers me when he beats me." She said while shaking her head. "This morning for example, I came in at six thirty in an attempt to avoid him, but he was already there! He set a to go cup of coffee on my desk with a note that said 'I win'. Gah!" She said in frustration.

"Sounds like someone has a crush on you." Rory said while smirking at her daughter.

"He does not" Janie said stubbornly.

"I bet you he does." Rory insisted. "He pushed you down on the playground hun. He likes you." He giggled.

"What? We're not five. He didn't push me down."

"I'm pretty sure his behavior is the equivalent to pushing you down on the playground." She said while smiling. "So, tell me. What's his name and where is he from."

Janie sighed and shook her head at her mother. "His name is Mark Fischer. He's from Boston, but went to Yale for both his undergraduate degree and Law degree. He's tall; six foot three. Wears sharp looking suits every day and he likes coffee just as much as I do."

"Sounds like you might have a little crush as well." Rory said as the waitress returned to their table with their lunch. Janie and Rory thanked her as she walked away. They continued to chat and eat their lunch until they were interrupted.

"Well, look who it is." Mark Fischer said as he approached their table. He quickly grabbed a chair from a nearby table and joined Janie and Rory. "Hi. I'm Mark Fischer. I work with Jane." He said while extending his hand to Rory.

"Rory Mariano; Janie's mother." Rory said while shaking Mark's hand.

"Janie?" He said while raising an eye brow. "It's always Jane around the office."

"Yes Mark, you now know my childhood nickname." She said while shaking her head.

"I'm really sorry to just intrude on your lunch like this. I didn't know you were having a mother/daughter hand out session." He turned to Rory and whispered "I thought you were her older sister" before winking at her. Marked quickly reached down into his briefcase and took out a folder. He handed it to Janie before saying, "Here, I was supposed to bring you this briefing. Mr. Tanner sent an email out about it. Just thought you'd like to have it since you left the office early today."

"Thanks Mark. I appreciate it." She said as he stood up and put the chair back at its original table.

"You two have a good weekend. Sorry to disturb you." Mark said as he walked away.

After he was gone, Rory looked at Janie and said, "So, that was Mark."

"Yeah, that was him." Janie said while looking down at her almost empty plate and blushing slightly.

"Oh my gosh. You totally have a thing for him!" Rory said. "You're blushing."

"Ok fine. I like him." Janie admitted. "Can you blame me though? He's totally hot!"

Rory chuckled for moment before agreeing with her daughter. "He is pretty hansom. Seems a little cocky, but he'll probably grow out of that as he gets older." She noted.

"He's not usually that cocky. I think he was just trying to impress us." Janie said.

"Well, Janie, if you really like him, why don't you make a move?" Rory asked.

"I don't know." Janie said hesitantly. "We work together, so I don't want to risk losing my job."

"Does your firm have a policy against employees dating one another?"

"Kind of. They just don't want any of the partners or directors dating staff members. Mark and I are both staff, so I guess it's ok." Janie answered.

"Good. I think you should go for it." Rory encouraged her. "You'll regret it later if you don't at least try."

"I know." Janie said. "I'll think about it some more over the weekend and make a decision on Monday."

Rory shook her head and laughed. "You're so corporate."

Janie laughed too before standing up and collecting her things. She pulled out her wallet and paid the bill before she and Rory walked out of the restaurant.

"Hello?" Rory said while answering the phone.

"Hi Mom." Janie said.

"Janie! Hi. How are you?" Rory asked.

"I'm good. Really good actually." She paused for a moment before asking, "Hey Mom? Are you and Dad going to be home this weekend?"

"Janie it's Friday. If we were going to be gone, I don't think I'd be answering the home phone." Rory said.

"Ok, well I'm going to stop by then. See you later tonight ok?" Janie said.

"Sure hun. Is everything ok?" Rory asked concerned.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just wanted to visit." Janie lied.

"Ok, drive safe." Rory said.

"I will. Bye Mom. See you later." Janie said before hanging up the phone.

"What did she say?" Mark asked while coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"She's looking forward to my visit." Janie said while turning and looking at him. "I think they're going to be very shocked that we eloped, Mark."

"We've been dating for almost a year. They didn't think we were going to get married?" Mark asked.

"I told my Mom we were, but I think they expected an engagement and then a wedding several months after." She said while smiling at him.

"Just tell them that we couldn't wait any longer. We just wanted to be married and didn't want all the fuss involved with a wedding." Mark said.

"True, but we'll have to be a bit more pragmatic than that, Mark." Janie said before kissing him deeply.

"mmm" He said as their lips parted. "Can we just stay here for the weekend?" He asked.

Janie giggled at his request. "Nope, sorry babe. We need to get this over with."

"Fine" He sighed.

Mark and Janie quickly packed their bags and drove to Stars Hollow for the weekend. They arrived late Friday night and walked up to the front door. Mark rang the doorbell and held Janie's hand.

"Are your parents going to kill me?" He asked while looking at her nervously.

"Probably not." She said before smiling and squeezing his hand.

Both Jess and Rory opened the door and greeted Mark and Janie warmly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mariano, it's nice to see you both again." Mark said while shaking Jess' hand.

Jess looked at him strangely before saying, "Mark, what's the deal? It's Jess and Rory as always. I think we know each other well enough for that." They had all spent many weekends together over the last year since Mark and Janie had been dating. Jess and Rory grew to like Mark and looked forward to his and Janie's visits.

"Sorry Sir" Mark said while picking up his and Janie's bags and taking them inside. Jess and Rory exchanged confused looks before Jess shut the front door behind Janie.

"Is something going on?" Rory asked as they walked into the living room. "Mark, you're acting so strange and Janie, you have yet to say a word. We love that you wanted to spend the weekend here, but you don't usually come on the spur of the moment like this. What's the deal?"

"Well…" Janie said as Mark stood next to her and put his arm around her waist. She moved her hand to cover his and was about to share their news, but Rory caught sight of Janie's wedding ring.

"Oh my gosh! You're engaged!" She said while rushing over and hugging both Janie and Mark. Rory reached out and took Janie's hand in hers to examine the ring closely.

"Mom, there's actually something more than that." Janie tried to explain.

"You're pregnant?" Rory said while looking Janie in the eyes. Upon Rory's question, Jess gritted his teeth and starred at Mark who's face had gone white at the question.

"No. I'm not pregnant." Janie said and grinned at them before taking Mark's hand again. "Mom, Dad, Mark and I are married." She said. Rory and Jess' eyes went wide as they looked at the couple. "We eloped last weekend." Janie explained. "Please don't be mad. Mark and I really love each other and really wanted to be married, so we just went out and did it."

After a few minutes of silence, Rory sat on the couch and looked back at Mark and Janie. "I really have no idea what to say. Jess?" She asked as Jess stood frozen in place near Janie and Mark.

Jess frowned and locked eyes with Mark before clenching his fists and moving closer to him. "You" He said while pointing at him. Mark started to back away slowly, but Jess' fist quickly made contact with his jaw. Mark fell backward from the force of the punch and smacked his head against the hardwood floor.

"Mark!" Janie yelled before rushing to his side.

"Jess!" Rory said while getting off the couch and walking over to him. She lowered his fists and put an arm around his waist while patting his chest with the other. "What are you doing Jess?" She asked as he slowly calmed down. Rory looked down at Janie and asked "Is Mark ok?"

"I think so" Janie said as she looked down at him. "Mark?" She asked before carefully touching his face. He didn't respond, so she leaned closer to him and said his name again. Still no response. She didn't want to move him, but started to look at his head to check for injuries. Janie ran her hand through his hair and was shocked to see blood when he brought her hand up for examination. "Mom" She said shakily while turning to face her parents.

"Jess, call 911" Rory said while running into the kitchen and grabbing several towels. Jess quickly dialed and asked for an ambulance. Rory handed Janie a towel before sitting down next to Mark and carefully placing a towel under his head. She looked up at Janie who had tears silently running down her cheeks. Rory reached over and held Janie's hand. "It's going to be ok." She said.

"Mom…" Janie said before her voice broke and she began to sob. Rory quickly stepped over Mark and pulling Janie into a tight hug. Jess came up behind her and began to rub her back before Janie pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry Janie. I didn't mean to hurt Mark. I just completely lost control." Jess tried to explain.

"How could you Dad?" Janie asked. "Look at him!" She said while pointing to Mark as he lay on the floor. Janie sat down next to him and carefully took his hand in hers. "Mark" She whispered while leaning close to him. He stirred slightly and groaned as she looked down at him. He started to move, but she put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Don't move Mark. You hit your head on the floor. An ambulance is on the way, so you need to stay still until they come and check you out." She explained as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"I feel fine Jane." He said while trying to move again before Janie put more pressure on his shoulder.

"Mark, you're head is bleeding. I really think you should get checked out. It would make me feel better." She said quietly. He nodded in response and closed his eyes before groaning again.

Minutes later the ambulance arrived and two EMTs carefully moved and loaded Mark into the ambulance. They took him to the hospital for a few tests, just to make sure his head injury wasn't serious.

Jess and Rory waited in the waiting room before Janie finally came out to give them an update on the situation.

"Is he going to be ok?" Jess quickly asked as she sat down in a chair across from him.

"The doctor said he'll be fine. He just got a couple of stitches in his head, but they said nothing is seriously wrong. I have to wake him up every couple of hours since he has a concussion. I guess it's not good for him to sleep for too long, so I get to wake up with him and check on him." She sighed and looked at Jess as he nodded. "Dad, I just have to ask you, why did you feel the need to punch my husband?" Janie asked.

Jess flinched slightly at the word 'husband', but tried to apologize for his sudden outburst. "I'm so sorry Janie. I just completely lost it. I was completely caught off guard by your announcement and I just snapped."

"Dad, you like Mark. Why did you have to hit him?" Janie asked again.

"I don't know Janie. I guess I just saw him taking you from me and I snapped." Jess said while looking at the floor.

"Daddy, Mark's not taking me away from you." Janie said while quickly getting up and moving to the chair next to Jess. She pulled him into a hug as he apologized again. The broke apart and Janie smiled at her overprotective father. "Just don't kill my husband before we get to our one month anniversary, ok?" She joked and Jess nodded while grinning at her.

"What a way to start a marriage, huh?" Rory asked. "At least you'll have a story to tell people. Hey, remember the time we told my parents we eloped and your Dad almost killed me?" Rory and Janie laughed as Jess shook his head.

"At least you'll never have to worry about him mistreating me. He knows you will literally seriously hurt him if he hurts me in any way." Janie joked.

"This really really sucks" Drew said while exiting the church.

"Yes, it does." Paige said gently while holding his hand. They walked down the church steps together and paused before getting into the waiting limo.

It was a beautiful spring day, but a shadow had been cast on this particular spring several days ago when Richard awoke one morning to find Emily had passed away in her sleep. It was later determined that she'd had a stroke and quietly slipped away at some point during the night. The entire family was devastated and had gathered on this particular day to say their final goodbyes to Emily.

As they waited for the rest of the family to join them, Drew absentmindedly played with his black tie. Paige reached over and held his hand to stop him. He looked at her with a sad smile before pulling his cell phone out. "I'm going to call your parents and see how they're doing with Caleb." He said.

"I'm sure they're fine Drew. Caleb's almost two years old now. I think my parents can handle him by now." She assured him. She smoothed her black dress over her legs before looking back at Drew. "Hey, I was thinking..." She paused before Drew nodded for her to go on. "I was thinking that if this baby is a girl, we should name her Emily." She said while putting her hand on her still flat stomach. She felt a tinge of sadness that their next baby would never meet Drew's great-grandmother. They'd only found out about the baby two weeks ago and still hadn't told their families yet.

Drew smiled softly. "I think that would be really nice. We should tell Papa. I think that would cheer him up a bit today."

"Ok. I think so too." Paige said.

Several hours later, all the guests except family members had left the Gilmore house. Everyone was sitting in the living room telling various stories about Emily while drinking cocktails. They really didn't know what else to do at this point. It was sad, but Emily had led a good and long life, so it made it a little easier on everyone.

"Hey, I've got something." Paige spoke up as the laughter died down. Everyone looked at her and wondered what she had to say. "I just wanted to say that even though I only knew Emily for a short time, I really loved her. I know how much Drew and all of you loved her and how much she loved you back. I think it's really important that we keep that love alive." She paused as everyone nodded and Drew took her hand in his. "So, Drew and I have decided that we're going to name this baby after her if it's a girl." She said while putting her hand over her stomach.

"You're pregnant?" Rory asked in shock while Drew and Paige nodded.

"I think naming the baby after Emily is a wonderful idea." Richard spoke up. "Emily would be greatly pleased." Everyone agreed with him and congratulated the couple.

Richard raised his glass while looking at them. "Here's to a new beginning and a new life." He said while everyone else raised their glassed to toast Drew and Paige.

"Ugh" Paige grunted as she moved her eight and a half month pregnant body up the porch steps to Rory and Jess' house. She held Caleb's hand as he took the steps one at a time.

Jess opened the front door and walked out to greet them. He quickly scooped Caleb up in his arms and tickled the little boy, who squealed with laughter.

"Hey Paige." He said while extending his free arm to help her up the steps. She smiled at him as he helped her up the last couple steps and then held the door open for her.

"We've got visitors!" Jess called out as they entered the house.

Janie, Mark, Jordan, Kari, and Samuel came into the room and quickly greeted Caleb and Paige.

"It's so good to see you all." Paige said while hugging Kari. "How long are you here for?"

"Two weeks." Jordan responded quickly.

"It's practically a miracle that we were all able to come out at the same time." Janie said.

"Well, we all wanted to see this little guy." Jordan said while taking Caleb from Jess and tickling the little boy. "Plus, his cousin wanted to say hi and play with him." He added as Caleb and Samuel greeted each other playfully.

"How's our little niece doing in there?" Kari asked while Paige rubbed her round belly.

"She's giving her mommy a crazy back ache, but other than that, she's good." Paige informed them. "So, Kari, I hear you finally found a practice to join?"

"Yes, I joined up with a group of OB/GYNs" Kari stated. "I've been doing a lot of work in that area and just decided to keep going. I enjoy it."

Rory entered the room and quickly greeted Caleb and Paige. "You're early" She said to them.

"Yeah, I thought it would be good to come over early so Caleb could run around here. I can't keep track of him at our place, so I'm taking advantage of his grandparents." She smiled.

"Well, we're happy to have you both, anytime." Rory said. "I've got iced coffee and tea if you'd all like to move to the back porch." Everyone nodded and followed her out there. Caleb enjoyed running around the backyard with his uncle Jordan, uncle Mark, and cousin Sam while everyone else looked on.

"Ugh" Paige winced and tried to rub her back with her hand.

"You ok?" Kari asked quickly while sitting on the edge of her seat.

"Yeah, my back has been killing me all morning. Drew is going to be giving me one serious back rub after he gets off work." She said.

"How long has your back been bothering you?" Kari inquired again.

"Almost nine months." Paige joked while Kari narrowed her eyes. "I think it started late last night. I had trouble sleeping and could barely get out of bed this morning." She explained.

"I think you might be in labor." Kari said while everyone looked at her with shock in their eyes. "Has your water broken yet?"

"No. I'd know I was in labor if that happened. I've been through this before." Paige said slightly annoyed. "Besides, I'm not due for another two or three weeks." She started to stand up but instantly sat down and winced in pain again.

"Ok, we're going to the hospital." Jess said while standing up.

"I don't know if we have time." Kari said while standing up and walking over to Paige. "If you're having contractions, they seem to be close together. I'd rather deliver the baby here than in the back of someone's car."

"I'm not in labor!" Paige said before wincing again. "Ok, that hurt. Maybe you're right. Let's go the hospital."

"Wait, let's go inside and I'll see how far along you are before we leave." Kari insisted while taking her arm to help her up. Jess grabbed her other arm and they started to move inside.

"I'm not letting you examine me." Paige said before another contraction hit.

Kari and Jess helped Paige into the guest room on the first floor and onto the bed. Jess quickly left as Kari did a quick exam. "Ok, we're not going anywhere." Kari said after finishing. "You're almost ten centimeters, so it's about time to start pushing. We're going to have to do it here." She said as Paige looked at her with wide eyes.

"I'm not having a baby in my in-law's guest room!" She insisted while trying to get up. "I'm a doctor! You can't tell me to not go to the hospital."

"Nice try, but I'm a doctor too." Kari said stubbornly. "You of all people should realize my point here." She paused before going to the door of the room. "Look, I'll call an ambulance and we'll try to get there in time, but if the ambulance doesn't come in five minutes, we're delivering the baby right here."

"Fine." Paige huffed as Kari left the room.

"What's going on? Is everything ok?" Janie asked as Kari raced to the phone.

"The baby is making an early arrival. I'm calling an ambulance, but we might have to deliver it here." Kari said while dialing. "Jess, go get Drew." She ordered and he quickly left and hoped in the car to retrieve Drew from the school.

Kari hung up the phone and looked at Rory and Janie. "Ok ladies, ready for this?" She asked as Janie and Rory both starred at her with wide eyes.

"Oh no. I'm not going in there." Janie said and held up her hands. "If you need help, take Mom." She said while pushing Rory toward the door.

"Hey! Why do I have to do it?" Rory questioned her daughter.

"Well, you've had a baby before, you know what all goes on." Janie explained.

"You know what happens too. Don't pretend that you don't know." Rory said.

"Stop bickering you two." Kari finally said. "I'm going to need both of you to help me." They both sighed and collected the items Kari requested before joining everyone in the guest room.

Fifteen minutes later Drew ran into the house and raced into the guest bedroom. He rushed to the side of the bed and grabbed Paige's hand.

"Drew, glad you could join us." Kari said while looking at Paige. "Ok Paige, this is it. Just a couple hard pushes and she'll be here."

A few minutes later, Emily Victoria Mariano was born. Kari, Rory, and Janie left the room to give Drew and Paige a few minutes alone.

Janie looked at Rory and Kari before saying "Wow. That was just…wow."

"Yeah" Kari said in understanding.

"It was totally gross, but completely amazing at the same time." Janie explained.

"And it hurts like hell." Rory joked. "Don't be thinking you want to have one now."

"oh, definitely not anytime soon." Janie assured her. "That was probably the best birth control ever. No babies anytime soon." She quickly said before Rory and Kari laughed.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review.**


	33. Chapter 33

"Well, I think we should do it." Jordan said as he and Kari walked through the park on a crisp fall day. They held hands as they walked slowly. Kari's parents were watching Sam for the afternoon so Jordan and Kari could talk and spend some quiet time together.

"I know it's a huge step, but I really want to adopt this baby." Kari said as they continued on their way. Kari and Jordan were thinking about adopting a baby from one of Kari's patients. Kari normally just referred patients to an adoption agency, but she felt a special connection to this particular patient. She was a teenager who couldn't keep the baby and continue to live with her parents. Kari felt really bad for the girl and really wanted to help her. So, she approached Jordan with the idea of adopting the baby.

"I guess I'll give our lawyer a call tomorrow and get the ball rolling on this." Jordan said.

"Sweetie, our lawyer is your sister." Kari commented.

"I know, it just feels more official to call her 'our lawyer' when we need legal stuff from her." Jordan said. "It's odd to refer to our lawyer as 'Janie'. It should at least be 'Dr. Mariano-Fischer'."

Kari snickered at his antics for a moment before saying, "Ok, we'll call her tomorrow and start the adoption process."

"When is the baby due?" Jordan asked.

"Middle of November. If all goes well, we'll have a little baby by Thanksgiving." She said and smiled at the idea.

"I'm really glad we decided to do this. I think it's going be really awesome. Plus, this way Sam will have a sibling to play with as they get older." Jordan said.

"Yeah, it's going to be crazy at first, but I think we can both handle it." She assured him while squeezing his hand. "When we got together back in college, I never imagined we'd ever end up here. I knew we'd do well in our careers, because let's face it, we're both brilliant." She joked. "I just never really saw us doing the whole family thing. Did you?"

"Not really." Jordan answered. "I thought we'd just be the cool aunt and uncle to all our nieces and nephews. I never really envisioned that we'd have two kids of our own. Granted, we haven't gone about it in the traditional sense, but we're still a family nonetheless."

"Life has thrown us some curveballs, but I like the way it's turning out." Kari said.

"Me too." Jordan said while nodding.

"Hello?" Jordan said while entered Jess and Rory's house. He carefully opened the door all the way and walked in carrying a little baby in his arms. Kari followed with Sam walking along side her. They looked around the empty living room before walking into the kitchen where the entire family had gathered.

"Hey!" Jess said as they entered. He pulled Rory by the hand as he walked over to Jordan. "There's our newest granddaughter! We were beginning to think you two were hiding her from us." He joked while picking up Sam and greeting him.

"oh, I wanna see!" Rory said while moving close to Jordan to peak at the little baby. "Well, hello there Lyla Jane." She said while touching the baby's cheek.

"You want to hold her?" Jordan asked. Rory nodded and carefully took the baby from him and held her tightly. Jess stood close to her and looked at the beautiful baby while holding Sam.

"What do you think of your little sister?" Jess asked Sam.

"Lyla" Sam said while pointing at her.

"That's right Sam." Jess said. He looked up at Kari and Jordan and smiled at them. "Congratulations. She's really beautiful."

"Thanks Dad" Jordan said.

Several minutes later, everyone was crowded around Rory as she held Lyla and showed her off to everyone. They all marveled at the newest addition to the family and fought for a turn to hold her. After everyone had a turn, Lorelai sat in on the couch in the living room holding the baby as she slept. Luke walked in and set a plate of food down on the table next to the couch.

"Everyone's eating, so I thought you'd want some before it's all gone." He said while sitting down next to her with his own plate in hand. He began to eat while also observing the baby in Lorelai's arms.

"Thanks babe." Lorelai said while carefully adjusting the baby so she could eat with one hand. "I really love this feeling." She said while starring at Lyla. "They're so peaceful when they sleep. They snuggle up to you and have that wonderful baby smell."

"Sorry, but I think we're a little old for another one." Luke joked as Lorelai rolled her eyes at him. "Good thing the kids and grandkids are having lots of babies so you can do that all the time." He noted.

"Yeah, we've got quite the growing brood. I never thought we'd be so lucky to have all these grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Did you?"

"No. I never envisioned any of this, but I'm really enjoying it all. It's a little crazy at times, but it's good." Luke said.

"That's what you get for marrying me." She said while grinning at him.

"True. I guess you get a crazy family when you marry a crazy lady." He joked.

Lorelai smiled at continued to stare at the little baby in her arm.

"Are you going to take the test or just stare at it?" Rory asked Janie. They were standing in the master bathroom of Janie and Mark's new house just outside of Boston. Janie was holding an unopened pregnancy test in her hand and looking at it with a frown on her face.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this." Janie said as Rory stood next to her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"You and Mark haven't discussed it?" Rory asked.

"We'd like to have kids at some point, but I want to be married a bit longer first." Janie explained.

"You've been married for almost five years." Rory pointed out.

"True. I guess we can't keep waiting to have kids forever." She acknowledged. "Plus, at least this time it would be a good thing."

Rory pulled back and looked at Janie with a frown on her face. "What do you mean by 'this time'" She asked sternly.

Janie's eyes went wide and her face turned white as she realized she'd just revealed her darkest secret. She fumbled for words as Rory stared at her and waited for an answer.

"Have you been pregnant before?" Rory asked again.

Janie steadied herself against the bathroom counter and looked down at the floor for a moment before looking up at Rory. She rubbed her eyes before trying to explain. "No, Mom. I had a pregnancy scare back in high school." She said while pausing before continuing. "It was during the first part of senior year. It happened right when I was breaking up with Isaac, so I was super relived when the tests came out negative. Plus, I really wanted to go to Harvard and didn't want to miss out on the opportunity."

Rory looked at her before quickly reaching out and pulling her into a tight hug. "oh baby. I had no idea you were going through that situation. I'm so sorry you had to do that alone. You should have talked to me about it." She said.

"Mom, there's no way I could have said anything to you about it. I was completely out of control and I knew it. You and Dad would have freaked out and locked me up for good. I knew I needed to fix my life, so having you both yell at me wouldn't have made it any better. As scaring as the pregnancy scare was, it was one of the most defining moments of my life. As soon as I saw that it was negative, I vowed to change my life. I set goals and took the steps necessary to achieve them." She said while looking into her mother's eyes. "I'm so happy with the way my life has changed and where I am today. I'm so blessed with everything I have. I have you and Dad, an awesome group of brothers and their families, Grandma and Grandpa, Jack and Will, and Mark." She sighed before continuing. "I love Mark so much and I'm so happy we're married. I love my job and the work I'm doing. I'm on my way to becoming a partner in the firm. I never imagined I'd be so lucky to literally have it all."

Rory smiled and hugged Janie again. "I love you so much Janie. I'm so happy for you and the life you've made for yourself."

"Thanks Mom." Janie said as they parted.

"Even though I feel really bad that you had to go through that terrifying experience alone, you're right about me and your Dad. We would have completely freaked out. We were so young when you were born, you know. We were just out of high school and not ready to have a baby at all. I know you've heard this before, but you really were the best thing that ever happened to us Janie. Our lives changed dramatically, but it all turned out really great in the long run. There were some hard years, but we made the best of it and grew stronger through it. As much as I never ever regret having you, I'm glad you didn't have to go through a similar experience. You've got a lot going for you that probably wouldn't have happened if you'd had a baby at that age." Rory said while touching Janie's arm. She took a deep breath and picked up the unopened pregnancy test and handed it to Janie.

"I guess I should take it, huh." She asked.

"Yes, you should. It will be ok. You're in a good place in life right now." Rory said to encourage her. "You never know Janie. Sometimes the unexpected events in life are the best."

Janie smiled and nodded before Rory left the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

A few minutes later Janie opened the door and Rory entered. Rory held Janie's hand as they both looked down at the test in the sink.

"huh" Janie said as she starred at it.

Rory turned and smiled before squeezing Janie's hand. Janie looked down at her flat stomach and placed her free hand over it. "Wow" She said. "I can't believe I'm going to have a baby. Wow."

"I think it's pretty awesome." Rory said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" Rory confirmed.

"Good. I do too." Janie said before smiling and hugging her mother.

As Janie and Rory were having their quiet celebration, Mark entered the house. "Jane! I'm home!" He called out as he walked up the stairs.

"In here!" Janie called out as Mark entered the master bedroom and set his briefcase down near the door. He took off his suit jacket, placed it on the bed, and loosened his tie while entering the bathroom.

"Hey Rory." He said while giving her a polite kiss on the check. "How's the first day of your visit going?"

"Really good so far." She said and winked at him. He looked at her with a puzzled expression before she said, "I'm going to go start something for dinner. See you downstairs." With that she left the bathroom and the couple to be alone for a few minutes.

"So, I have some interesting news." Janie said after Mark had kissed her.

"Yeah? And what would that be?" He said before kissing her again.

She took a step back and reached for the pregnancy test. She handed it to Mark who looked at it for a moment before looking back at Janie with wide eyes. "Really?" He asked as tears formed in his eyes. She nodded and smiled at him in response. "This is so great!" He said while scooping her up in a hug. He spun her around quick and set her down before kissing her again. "I'm so happy Jane." He said.

"Good. Because there's no turning back now. We're going to be contributing to this craziness that is my family." She said and smiled. Mark gently placed his hand on her stomach and starred at it for a moment. "It's pretty amazing that you and I are going to be having a baby, but I'm really loving the idea." She said.

"Yeah, it is pretty awesome." Mark said before scooping her up and carrying her downstairs as she laughed at him.

A five year old little girl squealed with laughter as Jess chased her around the back yard of her parents' house. "Grandpa!" She shrieked as he scooped her up in his arms and tickled her.

"I don't know where he gets so much energy." Lorelai said as she looked out the kitchen window. She, Rory, and Janie were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying several cups of coffee.

"I still really wish Papa would have been able to meet her." Janie said while looking into her coffee cup.

"He would have been so proud of her and so grateful to you and Mark for carrying on the Lorelai tradition." Lorelai said.

"Yes, He would have loved to hear the name Lorelai Charlotte Fisher; the fifth Lorelai." Rory said.

"He would have. I just wish he would have been able to meet her." Janie said again.

"She's a wonderful little girl Janie." Lorelai said before Jess and the little girl came stumbling into the kitchen. They both laughed and stood there for a moment catching their breath while the women looked at the pair.

"Charlie, Did you have fun with Grandpa?" Janie asked and the little girl climbed into her lap. He shook her head enthusiastically while reaching for her mother's coffee cup. Janie pushed it away and said, "Charlie, I've told you before, no coffee until you're older."

"Please Mommy" Charlie said while reaching for the cup.

"Sorry baby, but you're just going to have to wait." Janie insisted. Charlie sighed and hopped off of her lap and walked over to Lorelai. She quickly helped the little girl up and brushed her hair out of her face before the girl turned to her and sweetly said, "Grammy, may I pretty please have a sip of your coffee?"

Lorelai chuckled at her great-granddaughter's boldness. "Well, I suppose one small sip won't hurt you." She said while the girl carefully lifted the cup and took a sip.

"mmm. That was yummy. Can I have another?" She asked.

"No, I think your grandmother and mommy will probably be really mad if you have anymore. I wasn't supposed to let you have that small sip, so I don't want to get into any more trouble." Lorelai said as Rory and Janie glared at her.

The front door opened as Janie was about to scold Lorelai and Mark and Luke entered the house. Charlie quickly ran to Luke and jumped into his arms as he bent down to her level.

"Ooof." He said as she collided with him. "Be careful with your old Gramps there sweat pea." He said as he picked her up and spun her around.

Alex starred at a thick envelop that had just arrived in the mail. It was postmarked from London and the return address was a lawyer's office. He sat down at the kitchen table before looking up at the clock. He'd just arrived home from work and was supposed to be at his parents' house in half an hour to have dinner with them and Jonathan.

Alex had taken a job working in one of his parents' book stores in Hartford. He still worked on his travel blog and wrote occasional articles. Between that and the royalties he received from his books, he didn't really need a full time job, but he thought it would be a good stabilizing force in his life.

Alex silently opened the envelope in his hands and looked through the pages. He flipped to the last page before a small slip of paper fell onto the table. He picked it up and saw Elisabeth's neatly written message of "I'm sorry Alex, I just can't do it anymore." He sighed and looked at the legal papers again. One document was for a divorce and the other was a termination of parental rights. He'd figured the divorce papers were coming, but he hadn't expected Elisabeth to give up her rights to Jonathan. It broke his heart to think of Jonathan growing up without a mother, but there was nothing he could do about. The document was finalized and he couldn't change it. All he could do now was try his best to be everything Jonathan needed.

He quickly got up and retrieved a pen from his desk. He signed the divorce papers and put them in the return envelope provided. He added a couple of stamps and set the papers on his desk. He shook his head and sighed before grabbing his car keys and heading out the front door.

A few hours later, Jess and Alex sat in the living room drinking coffee and watching TV. Alex had read Jonathan a bedtime story and tucked him into bed. Rory was at Lorelai and Luke's for a mini movie marathon, so they guys were left on their own for the remainder of the evening.

Alex looked into his coffee and sighed. "I got some papers from Elisabeth's lawyer today." He said sullenly.

"Yeah? What kind of papers?" Jess asked while turning the volume down on the TV.

"Divorce papers and…" Alex hesitated for a moment as Jess looked at him. "She signed her parental rights to Jonathan away."

"What?" Jess asked. "She seriously just decided she doesn't want to be his mom anymore? How could she do that?" Jess asked as anger rose in his voice.

"That's what I was thinking. I know she hates me, so the divorce is understandable, but why would she just give up on Jonathan like that? He's just a little boy." Alex said with hurt evident in his voice.

"She's really missing out on a lot of great memories with him. It's her loss in the end. I know Jonathan won't ever be able to understand, but he's got you." Jess tried to explain.

"Yeah. I guess right now I'm just so pissed at her for abandoning him. I know I contributed, but she could still maintain contact with him." Alex said while looking at Jess.

"Well, screw her. If she wants to mess up her life, that's her problem." Jess said while getting up off the couch. He motioned for Alex to follow him as he stepped onto the back porch. He reached under the whicker couch and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He quickly lit one before offering the pack to Alex.

"Come on. Don't pretend like you don't have one once in a while." Jess said.

Alex smirked and took his Dad up on the offer before asking, "Does Mom know you have these?"

"Yeah. She doesn't like that I do it, but she lets me get away with an occasional cigarette when something stressful or crappy happens. As long as she doesn't see me do, she doesn't throw a fit."

"Does she ever throw a fit?" Alex joked.

"Not really." Jess responded. "We have our disagreements, but we've been together for so long now that we don't really freak out about anything."

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Jess gave Alex and pat on the back and said, "Everything's going to be ok Alex."

"I sure hope so." Alex said while looking at his Dad.

"You know something?" Alex asked Jess as he walked through the hospital hallway with his parents.

"What?" Jess asked curiously.

"You were right. Everything did work out to be ok." He smiled as he recalled a conversation they'd had several years prior.

"I told you it would." Jess joked.

Alex had spent the better part of a year getting his life back on track after rehab. He worked hard and Rory and Jess finally decided that Jonathan should live with him again. So, for Jonathan's fifth birthday, he got to move into Alex's house. The two quickly became best friends and spent the majority of the time together.

Around Jonathan's sixth birthday, Alex met Ella Greer while working in the bookstore. She had quickly become a frequent customer and began dating Alex. He was very up front with her about his past and his current situation with Jonathan. She understood and did her best to get to know both Alex and Jonathan.

After dating for about a year, Ella found out she was pregnant. After a lot of thought, she and Alex got married and she moved into Alex's house. Jonathan took it all very well and seemed excited about having a sibling.

"Here we are." Alex said as he walked into Ella's room followed closely by Rory and Jess. He walked over to Ella as she sat on the hospital bed holding a little baby. He kissed her and brushed her blonde hair out of her face. She smiled softly at him as Jess and Rory walked over to the bed.

"This is Derek Alexander Mariano" Alex said proudly as Ella turned the baby for them to see.

"Oh, he's gorgeous." Rory said while reaching out to touch his cheek.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. This is the second to last chapter, so I hope it's something you all like. **

"Hello?" Nick said as he answered the phone.

"Hey babe." Jill, Nick's wife, said.

"Hey" He said and smiled at the sound of her voice. Although he'd never admit it to anyone else, he really loved the sound of her voice.

After Nick recovered from his motorcycle accident and graduated from high school, he moved to New York and attended New York University. He eventually became a chef at an exclusive New York restaurant in Manhattan. Jill Graham was an investment banker who frequented the restaurant. She was a couple of years older than Nick, but eventually warmed up to him after nearly a year of Nick's request to take her out on a date. After dating for two years, they finally got married. They eventually had four children; Hannah, Erin, Adam, and Nate. Nick became a stay at home Dad since Jill was doing so well in her career. He picked up a few shifts a month at the restaurant just to get out of the house and to keep his skills sharp. The family lived on the Upper East Side in a penthouse near Central Park and absolutely loved it.

"So, I'm not sure I'm going to be seeing you tonight." Jill said into the phone. "I thought I'd be able to come home for dinner before leaving on this trip, but I have way too much work to finish, so I'm stuck at the office."

"It's ok. You're only going to be gone for a couple of days. We'll see you this weekend when you get back." Nick said.

"Ok. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you this weekend." She said coyly.

"mmm. I'll be looking forward to that." He replied. "Hey Jill?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful on the road. I know the snow plows have been out in force, but it could still be slick." Nick said.

"I will. I'm not going too far honey. It's just to Washington D.C." She replied. "I'll see you Friday night. I love you."

"I love you too." Nick said before hanging up the phone and walking into the kitchen to start dinner.

About an hour later, Nick sat at the dining room table eating with the kids when the phone rang. He instructed the kids to keep eating while he went into the living room to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yes, is this Mr. uh, Mariano?" A man asked.

"Yes, speaking." Nick said.

"Sir, I'm officer Wallace with the New York State Patrol. Your wife, Jill Graham, was in a car accident this evening." He said very formally.

"Oh crap. Is she ok?" Nick said as his heart began to beat quickly. He braced himself against the wall with one hand while putting his head down.

"Sir, I regret to inform you that your wife was severely injured in the accident." The officer said.

Nick stood there in shock as he tried to take in the information. He began to shake uncontrollably and slowly slid down the wall until he sat firmly on the floor. His head began to spin as the officer continued to speak.

"Sir, I need you to come to the hospital right way. There are several matters that need to be discussed." The officer explained.

"uh, um, ok." Nick sputtered out. He slowly stood up and listened as the officer finished giving him instructions. He then walked next door and had the neighbor come over to watch the kids. He took a cab to the hospital on just outside the city and hesitantly walked into the emergency room. He didn't fully understand what was going on and prayed that his worst nightmare wasn't about to come true. After a few minutes at the front desk, he was given directions to where Jill had been moved into the intensive care unit. He spoke with an ER doctor who explained the situation. Jill had been driving toward Washington and it had started to snow again. Her SUV did fine in the changing weather, but a pickup truck driving in the other direction slid across the road and hit her head on. The EMTs that first arrived on the scene told the ER doctors that they didn't expect Jill to make it because the accident was so severe. When she was brought into the hospital, she had lost a lot of blood and needed surgery to fix several internal injuries. The doctors had done as much as they could, but needed to wait until the swelling around her spine went down before they did anything else. They were concerned about the damage that had been done and feared that she may be paralyzed.

Nick thanked the doctor for all did for Jill before quickly making his way to the intensive care unit. Once he was in the elevator he took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. He knew Jill was in bad shape, but she was still here. That was all he cared about as the elevator slowly went up.

Hours later, Nick sat at Jill's bedside carefully holding her hand as the machines beeped in the background. He sat up most of the night with her before falling asleep in the chair while leaning on her bed.

"Excuse me, sir?" A nurse asked while gently shaking him.

Nick woke up and winced at the pain in his neck and back.

"Sir, we need to do a few more tests. Could you please move to the waiting room for a few minutes?" She kindly asked.

He nodded and went to the bathroom to freshen up before taking a seat in the waiting area. He pulled his cell phone out and noticed several missed calls from his parents. He groaned while realizing that he'd left the neighbor lady with the kids all night. He cleared his throat and called the home phone.

"Hello?" Rory answered.

"Mom, why are you answering my home phone? Did I call you by mistake?" He asked.

"No Nick. Your father and I are at your house. The neighbor called us late last night to tell us what was going on. Is Jill ok?" Rory asked.

"She's in pretty bad shape, but she's alive." He said while swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Ok, we're here watching the kids, so let us know if there is anything we can do. I sent your father to the hospital, so he should be there soon."

"Thanks Mom. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for watching the kids." He said before hanging up the phone and taking a deep breath. Jess arrived several minutes later and sat with Nick as they waited for an update on Jill's condition.

"Mr. Graham?" A doctor asked while walking into the waiting area.

"Jill Graham?" Nick asked to which the doctor nodded. "I'm Nick Mariano, her husband."

"Oh, sorry Mr. Mariano." He apologized quickly. "Your wife's condition hasn't improved much from last night, I'm afraid. I just did a nerve and reflex test below her waist and she didn't respond. Her spine was nearly severed in the accident and I'm not sure she's going to regain the ability to use her legs." He said before pausing momentarily. "The good news is that she did show purposeful movements when we tested her upper body. She should be waking up soon."

Nick sat in silence as he tried to comprehend the information the doctor had given him. "So, she's paralyzed? She'll never be able to walk again?" He asked in confusion.

"I'm afraid so." The doctor explained. "We can do the test again when she wakes us, but I think she's paralyzed from the waist down."

Nick swallowed hard before nodding. Jess thanked the doctor before he left and put his arm on Nick's back as he leaned forward and quietly sobbed. After a few minutes he quieted down and sat back up in the chair. He wiped his face and took a few deep breaths. "She's going to be so devastated." He said while looking at Jess.

Jess' heart went out to Nick as he saw the pain in his son's eyes. "I know. It's really horrible. Jill's got you though. She'll get through this with your help Nick."

"I know." Nick said. "I'm just so happy that she's alive. I'm going to be strong for her and help her adapt to this."

Jess nodded and patted Nick's back as they sat in silence.

Later that day, Jill woke up and found Nick sitting beside her bed. He gently explained the situation to her and held her as she cried for a while.

Nick spent the next several days at the hospital with Jill until the doctors decided that she could go home. They advised her to take at least six months off work as she healed from her injuries and adapted to life again. A physical therapist assisted in her recovery a few times a week. Jess and Rory spent a lot of time helping with the kids and helping the couple with anything they needed.

About three months into Jill's recovery, Nick sat in the office looking over their financial statements.

"You don't look so good." Jill said while wheeling herself into the office. Nick smiled at her and quickly got up and kissed her on the cheek. He sat back in the office chair and turned the computer screen for Jill to see what he was looking at.

"We're running out of money." Nick said. "I'm going to have to go back to work or we'll lose the house next month."

Jill looked everything over and frowned. "The payments are pretty big on this place. Will your job at the restaurant cover it?"

"Probably not." Nick admitted. "I think we need to ask my mom and dad to help us out."

"I can't believe we are this unprepared." Jill said. "I knew I should have taken the time to get a worst case scenario plan in place. I just never thought I wouldn't be able to work."

"I know. I should have made more of an effort to plan for this too. We kept putting off buying more insurance and making sure we had more savings." Nick said.

"Yeah, but we always planned on my income being there. Plus, four kids are expensive and we never really had much left over at the end of the month." Jill said before sighing. "I can't believe we weren't more responsible with our money. I mean, for goodness sake, I'm an investment banker. We shouldn't be in this mess!"

"What do you think we should do?" Nick asked.

Jill took a moment to look everything over once more before responding. "Well, our biggest expense here is the mortgage. I think we need to sell this place and find something smaller. The other option is to drastically increase our income. I know you can go back to the restaurant full time, but I don't know if that's going to be enough. I really need to get back to work in all honesty."

"Jill, I don't think you should go back before you're ready. We'll just have to move or ask my parents for a little help." Nick said firmly.

"Babe, I've been giving it some thought and I'm not sure how I feel about work." She admitted. "I really want to work again, but I'm not sure I can go back to the same office. I don't want them to look at me with pity in their eyes and treat me like a fragile doll just because I'm in this stupid chair." She said. "I can still do the job, but I'm afraid they won't see it that way."

Nick nodded in understanding. "I get that. What are you thinking of then? I know you have a plan, you always do." He said while smirking at her.

"You know me so well." She said while smiling at him. "I was actually thinking that we should make a fresh start. Let's move out of New York and I'll find a new job with a different firm."

"Ok, I think we can handle that." He said. "What about Hartford? We could live there or outside the city a little ways. Houses are a little more affordable and my parents will be nearby if we need any help with the kids. Plus, I've got the majority of my family there. I'm sure they'd all help us with whatever we need."

"I like that idea." Jill said while nodding firmly. "New house, new city, new job."

"Ok Mrs. Graham. Let's do it." He joked before kissing her.

Just as they had decided, Jill and Nick moved their family to Hartford a few weeks later. The whole family pitched in to get them settled into the house next to Drew and Paige in Stars Hollow. Everyone was excited to have them so close. Danny had several connections in the financial district and helped Jill find a new job. It ended up being even better than Jill's last job, so Nick was able to continue to stay home with the kids while Jill worked. It was difficult for Jill to adjust to the wheelchair, but she was determined to not let it limit her. She was successful in her efforts and thrived in the family's new environment.

"So, Melissa, you finally got Danny to settle down, huh?" Jess asked as he, Rory, Danny, his fiancé Melissa, and her daughter Nicole, sat down to dinner.

"Yes. I managed to get him to stop working long enough to make an honest woman out of me." She joked.

"Well, it's about time Danny found someone to keep him in line." Rory joked. "He's almost forty!"

"Mom, you really need to stop pointing that out." Danny said. "Yes, I'm getting old, I know."

"I guess I should stop that. It only draws attention to how old I am." She joked. "Seriously Danny, I'm glad you finally found a wonderful woman to marry. Better late than never!"

Jess leaned over to Melissa's daughter and said, "Nicole, you might want to back out of this family now. It's going to be crazy." He joked.

She laughed and said, "Well, it's been pretty quiet for my whole life, so I think a little crazy is in order."

"Remember the first fourteen years of your life as the peaceful years." Danny joked and smiled at her. Danny really enjoyed getting to know Melissa's daughter Nicole. Melissa had Nicole when she was 21, with her college boyfriend. The boyfriend took off shortly after Nicole was born, so she never knew her biological father. Melissa had built a successful career as an interior designer, which was how Danny had met her. He hired her to decorate his new house in Hartford and started dating her shortly after she finished the job. The dated for almost two years before Danny finally proposed. Melissa accepted and she and Nicole began making arrangements to move into Danny's house.

"Hey Rory!" Lorelai called out as she entered Rory and Jess' house.

"Up here!" Rory called from the office upstairs.

Lorelai climbed the stairs and smiled as she entered the office. She sat down on the couch across the room from Rory's desk.

"What's up Mom? You don't usually drop by in the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday." Rory said while standing up from her desk and walking over to the couch and sitting next to her mother.

Lorelai took a moment to figure out how to start the conversation before finally saying, "I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what's going on?" Rory asked concerned.

"I received this letter in the mail yesterday." Lorelai explained while pulling an envelope out of her purse. "It's from Christopher."

Rory shook her head and stood up. "I really don't want to hear about it Mom. I'm sorry, but I made my decision a long time ago when it comes to him."

"Rory, please just hear me out." Lorelai said while grabbing Rory's arm. Rory sighed and sat back down before crossing her arms and waiting for an explanation from Lorelai. "Rory, you know I've always supported you're decisions regarding your Dad." She said while Rory nodded. Lorelai very hesitantly said, "I think you should give him one more chance." As Rory was about to object Lorelai put her hand up to stop her. "I know he did some horrible things, but he wrote this letter to ask for one last chance." Lorelai explained before handing her the letter.

"I don't understand. Why now?" Rory asked. "It's been over twenty years since the last time I talked to him."

Lorelai put her hand on Rory's knee as she explained the situation. "He's sick hun. Really sick. Cancer of some kind. It sounds like he doesn't have much time left. I'm assuming that he regrets never really having a relationship with you and now he wants to make some kind of amends."

"It's too late." Rory said stubbornly. "I'm not going to just hold his hand as he dies so he can feel better."

"I know. I don't think he's really asking for that. From what the letter says, he just wants to apologize and see you again. He didn't say this, but I think he would really like to meet his grandchildren too. I know he gave up the right to meet his grandchildren when he chose not to have a relationship with you, but maybe they should all meet. He's dying Rory. I know he really hurt you, but would it be so bad to at least leave everything on a good note?" Lorelai asked while Rory considered what she was saying. "I would really hate for you to pass this opportunity up only to regret it down the road."

"It's been a long time." Rory noted. "I was angry with him for a lot of years before I finally let it go. I was also really hurt for a lot of years too. Thinking about seeing him again brings some of those feelings back, but I think you're right. If I refused to see him, I'd probably regret it later on. I'll agree to see him, but it's going to be on my terms and I'm keeping the kids out of it for now."

"Ok, I think that's fair." Lorelai said. "Do you want me to call him for you?"

"Could you please?" Rory asked. "I'd really appreciate it. He can come here to the house, but it's just going to be me and him and maybe Jess."

"Ok, I think that's fair." Lorelai said.

Rory thanked her before excusing herself from the office while Lorelai called the number Christopher had left in the letter. She talked briefly with him and made all the arrangements to set up a meeting between Chris and Rory. He insisted it be as soon as possible and after consulting Rory, the meeting was finalized. Rory thanked her mother for her encouragement before Lorelai left Rory alone to think things over.

Rory lay in bed that night with her eyes wide open thinking about seeing her father the next morning. Jess turned over onto his side and gently placed his hand on her stomach.

"Are you sure you're ok?" He asked while opening his eyes to look at her.

"I can't seem to turn my mind off." Rory said while placing her hand on his. "I'm really nervous about seeing my Dad and what he's going to say to me."

"You still want me to be there with you or would you rather be alone with him?" Jess asked.

"I think you should be there. Plus, it'll be nice to have your support." She admitted.

"Ok, I can definitely do that. I'll be there for you the whole time, no matter what."

"Thanks." Rory said while taking a deep breath. She rolled over to face him as he pulled her closer to his body.

The next morning Rory and Jess sat in the kitchen waiting for Christopher to arrive. Rory appeared calm and cool, but her insides were twisted in knots from nervousness. The pair quietly ate breakfast before cleaning everything up and sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of each of them. Rory jumped slightly when the doorbell rang. She and Jess both stood up and looked at each other before walking to the front door.

"Are you ready?" Jess asked. Rory nodded and he opened the door before taking a step back.

Rory was surprised at her father's appearance. His hair had grayed, but he looked much younger than she expected him to.

"Rory" He whispered while looking at her.

"Dad, please come in." She said politely while taking a step back and allowing him to enter. "You remember my husband, Jess, right?" She asked.

"Of course. Nice to see you again Jess." Chris said while shaking Jess' hand.

"Christopher, nice to see you as well." Jess said politely.

Chris stood in front of Rory again and quickly reached out to hug her. She was a little taken aback at the gesture, but returned the hug politely. They parted and Rory ushered everyone into the kitchen where they all sat at the table. Jess got up and poured a cup of coffee for Chris before sitting back down.

"Some things never change." Chris said after thanking Jess and taking a sip of the coffee.

"Yeah, we're still pretty liberal with the coffee." Jess said.

They sat in silence before Chris finally decided to start the conversation. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me Rory. I know I don't deserve it, so I really really appreciate the opportunity. I wanted to see you again before…" He trailed off and lowered his head while trying to compose himself again.

"I know. I read the letter you sent my mom." Rory said. She took a deep breath before saying, "Dad, you know I made up my mind about our relationship a long time ago, but I think you should know that I forgive you. I don't hold any animosity toward you. I used to, but I've let it go and moved on." She said firmly as he slowly nodded and appeared to have tears in his eyes. "It's a little late for us to have a close relationship, but we can at least talk for a while."

"I'm so sorry Rory. I really regret that we've never had a relationship. I should have done this a long time ago. I really regret that I never knew you. I wish I would have made an effort to be a part of this family." He said sadly.

Rory looked down at the table while Jess wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Christopher, Rory's an amazing woman. I feel sad that you haven't been around to see her grow into an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother. My life has been greatly enriched by her. I know you can't ever get the time back that you've lost, but would you like to see pictures of some it?" Jess offered as Rory looked up at him and thanked him with her eyes.

"I'd love to" Chris said while nodding.

Jess quickly got up and retrieved several family photo albums. Rory moved and sat next to Christopher as he flipped through the pages. They spent the next several hours together looking at pictures. Christopher turned the pages and asked questions as Rory explained everything to him.

"You really have a wonderful family Rory." Chris said while closing the last album. "Can you forgive me for missing it?"

Rory nodded while saying, "Dad, I told you that I already have. We can't change the past, but we can try to have a relationship in the future." She said before covering his hand with hers. He smiled gratefully at her before she offered another olive branch. "Dad" She said while hesitating for a moment. "Would you like to meet them?"

Chris' eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Can I?" He asked.

"Yes. I think it would probably be good for everyone." She said before looking at Jess who nodded approvingly.

"Thank you so much Rory." Chris said before hugging her. She embraced him back and slowly rubbed his back as he said, "I love you Rory."

"Love you too, Dad."


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: This is the last chapter. I hope you all like it. Thank you so much for your reviews and for reading this story.**

Rory walked into the house with a stack of mail in her hand. She set it down on the counter and pulled a large envelope out of the stack. She opened it to reveal several prints of a recent family photo. They had managed to gather the entire clan together for a quick photo session and picnic several weeks ago. She scanned the image and smiled at it.

"What are you smiling at?" Jess said as he walked into the kitchen and over to the coffee maker. He quickly retrieved two mugs from the cabinet and poured a cup for Rory and one for himself.

"The family picture came." She said while turning it for him to see.

Jess walked over to her and set the cup of coffee down in front of her. Rory thanked him and set the picture down on the counter. As they sipped their coffee Jess put his arm around Rory's waist and kissed her cheek. "This turned out really well." He said while looking at the picture.

"It really did. I'm surprised that everyone is actually smiling and looking at the camera." Rory said before taking another sip of coffee.

"I wasn't really talking about the picture." Jess said while Rory looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "I was talking about our family. I think it's turned out really well."

Rory smiled at him before kissing him. "I agree. We certainly got off to a rocky start, but I'm really happy with where we are now."

"Yeah, the initial start of our family wasn't so great. I was absolutely terrified when you showed me that positive pregnancy test all those years ago." Jess said.

"I was even more terrified than you were." She said in response. "I was only eighteen and had to figure out what to do about Yale and my mom. I felt so awful for disappointing her. I knew she really wanted me to go to college more than anything else and having a baby would make that extremely difficult." She recalled. "Then, when she actually came home and saw us standing there and realized what was happening, I thought I was literally going to die. I've never seen fire in her eyes like that."

"Yes, that was definitely a low point in our lives." Jess said while nodding.

"Do you ever think about what would have happened if we hadn't run away to Venice Beach that night?" Rory asked while looking at him.

"I have. I'm honestly not sure if we would have made it." He said while cringing slightly.

"It's ok, I've thought about it too. If we hadn't left, I still wouldn't have gone to Yale. I would have probably kept living with my mom and tried to find a job. I'm sure my mom and Luke wouldn't have been too into us dating while one of them watched Janie. I'm sure between each of us working and trying to take care of Janie that we would have drifted apart." Rory tried to explain.

"I think you're right. It would have been very difficult. Even if we had managed to maintain our relationship, it would have been several years before we got super serious or got married. We certainly wouldn't have had Drew that soon after Janie." Jess said.

"Mom and Luke would have really killed you if we'd had Drew that soon in that scenario." She said while grinning at him.

"Oh most definitely." Jess said and chuckled. "Luke would have completely lost it."

"Do you think we made the wrong decision when we ran away?" Rory asked.

Jess sighed while thinking about the question. "Rory, I know we've talked a lot about that decision, but regardless, we can't change what we did. I'm sure there was a different way to deal with it, but we made it work." He said while slowly and gently rubbing her back. "I think overall, it's all worked out well. I know it was probably the best thing for me. If we'd have stayed in Stars Hollow, or even moved back after a short time, I wouldn't have been as good of a father. The fact that it was just you and me and we had to grow up and be parents really changed me." He explained.

"You really did mature fast and learn to be a great father very quickly." Rory noted. "I know Luke would have tried to teach you those skills, but you've always learned best by figuring it out on your own. I'm so grateful that you chose to be a great father to our children Jess. I can never thank you enough for that."

"You had a lot to do with me getting my act together you know. I loved you and couldn't even imagine leaving you and Janie, so I only had one option; man up and learn to be a good Dad." Jess said. "Plus, you're such a great mom that I really had some tough competition." He said while smirking at her.

"It's not like I had much of a choice either, but at least I had my mom's example to follow." She said before taking another sip of coffee. "Do I look old in this picture?" Rory asked while continuing to examine it.

"Nah, not a day over eighteen." Jess said while moving to stand behind her. He put his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Our life has been one crazy ride, but I'm glad we got to do it together." He said.

"It's certainly been anything but boring." Rory noted. "Look at how grown up they all are." She said while pointing to the picture. "How did all the kids grow up so fast?"

"I know this is totally cheesy and cliché, but it really does seem like yesterday that we born." Jess said while frowning. He looked back at the picture and pointed to Janie. "Look at Janie, she's forty-five years old here. How did that happen? That means I'm sixty-four. I can't believe I'm that old." Jess said while shaking his head.

"Ugh, don't talk about how old we are." Rory said. "You know, Jordan's almost fifty." She realized.

Jess groaned at the thought of his oldest child being that old.

"He looks a lot like you in this picture." Rory noted. "Although, he is missing a scowl or smirk here, so I guess the jury's still out." She joked.

"Thank God he didn't inherit my attitude." Jess said while chuckling. "We had enough of that to deal with in the rest of the kids. At least we could point to Jordan as a good example for them."

"We got really lucky that they weren't all miniature versions of you." Rory joked and laughed as Jess frowned at her. "I'm just kidding, you know Janie was sort of a mini you for a while. Plus, you've got an almost identical copy in Drew, minus the attitude."

"We've got really great kids Rory." He said while holding her close to himself. "I couldn't have asked for better ones."

"I agree one hundred percent. They've all grown to become amazing people." She said while scanning the picture another time. "Plus, we have twelve really awesome grandkids."

"I love our crazy family." Jess said before kissing her neck. "And I love you."

Rory turned around in his arms and kissed him again. "I love you too Jess."

They quietly embraced each other for a few minutes before Jess broke the silence. "So, you want to head to Luke's to get some dinner?"

"Sure, that sounds like a good plan." Rory said as they pulled away from each other's arms. They started to walk out of the kitchen when Jess turned back and retrieved the picture and it's envelope from the counter. "Better bring this with us. I'm sure Lorelai would like to see it." He said while grabbing her hand and following her out of the house. They slowly walked toward the dinner hand in hand while enjoying the warm spring weather.


End file.
